Only a Voice
by HolyMaiden24
Summary: Temporarily blinded after being captured, perhaps the biggest clue to a then young Moana's rescuer was what the sound of his voice was like. (An AU loosely inspired by the Little Mermaid. Rated T to be on the safe side.)
1. A young captive

**Note that this was posted on tumblr under my alternate name, tornrose24, and may go on deviant art under that same name. I may continue this, depending on how popular it gets. Also, Moana belongs to Disney.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A young captive**

Whenever she had imagined herself out on the ocean, she did not imagine herself to be captured by strange creatures wearing coconuts over their bodies and spears in their hands. Yet the young Moana chose that night of all nights to try to make another attempt to escape off the island with Pua in her hands and somehow she had found herself surrounded by several of these creatures who quickly covered her up like a wave crashing into the water. She had only one chance to scream before she had something forced over her mouth and her eyes and before she knew it, she had been taken upon a large, yet strange looking boat that was somewhere on the ocean where her island was nowhere in sight.

It had been at least one whole day since she had been taken off the island and the sun was due to set very soon. Her family and the whole village must have been worried out of their minds for her and must have either thought she was trapped somewhere on the island or had drowned at sea. And yet here she was, at the very top of the large boat that was almost the size of a mountain, with her hands bound behind her back and Pua right beside her.

The young captive of nine years or so was both terrified and excited at the same time. Her captors were both terrifying and cute at the same time. So far she had been treated fairly well, but her arms had been tied behind her back for so long that it was uncomfortable. It was now a question of why she had been captured in the first place.

From what she had learned from the voiceless leader (through a series of gestures, images carved upon wood, and lots of pointing), they had captured her so that her father would give them a very large amount of food and supplies in exchange for her safe return.

"And what about Pua?" She nodded to her friend, who had been dragged into this mess and yet stayed firmly by her side. The poor piglet was more terrified than she was, and yet he too was trying to see a way out of this strange situation they were stuck in.

The leader paused for a moment before drawing something on the piece of wood. He flipped it over to reveal a pig roasting over a fire which earned a round of thumbs up from a few of the nearby creatures and some very horrified squealing from Pua.

That was the last straw for Moana. With a yell, she got up on her feet and kicked the nearest coconut creature off the platform and sent him flying in a perfect arc out into the ocean. Before the leader or the others could have time to react, she quickly leapt off the platform and began to try to find a way to escape, with Pua squealing right after her.

All the creatures reacted and ran after the young girl and the pig, determined to stop her from getting away, but Moana was able to at least kick some out of the way as she desperately tried to find a way to either escape or get the stupid thing off her wrists so she could fight her captors.

She heard Pua frantically squeal and when she turned around, the poor piglet was trapped within a ring of those little creatures and their spears. All of which were aimed at Pua, who tried to scoot away from them as best as he could.

"Pua, no!" The little girl screamed as she hurried to the creatures and tried her best to kick them away. She was unaware that one of the creatures was walking on a plank of wood towards her with a strange tool in its grasp and when she finally noticed the movement from the corner of her eye, she turned around to face it.

All she could see was something coming out of the long circular thing that the creature held. She flinched and she closed her eyes in the nick of time before something sticky splattered over her eyelids.

"AIYYYEE!" She screamed as she tried to open her eyes but the strange substance already hardened over her eyes and rendered her blind. All she could hear was Pua squealing in terror for her and the sound of those creatures gaining upon her. Any of her excitement slowly died away to fear as she panicked and had no idea what she was doing anymore or where she was trying to scramble away to. "NO, NO, NO!"

"FATHER!" She cried as she felt the creatures surround her. "MOTHER! SOMEONE HELP!" She screamed as she felt them all cover her. She wanted this to all be a bad dream so that she could wake up!

She heard the sound of a bird's cry in the distance and suddenly the creatures got off her as fast as they could. Had she been able to see, she would have seen a large brown bird coming towards the ship, but she was trapped in darkness and could not feel with her hands so that she could guide herself out of here. Right at that very moment, something shot into her shoulder and while it hurt and made her yelp in surprise, it was nothing compared to the strange feeling of feeling a numbness take over in that same spot, like sitting on one's feet for too long.

In her confusion, she felt herself trip over something and began to fall down. She could hear Pua squealing for her, she could hear more chaos ensuing upon the boat as something crashed near where she had been, and all she could do was take a deep breath and pray she landed on something safe.

Instead, she felt nothing but water underneath her. She was going to fall into the ocean!

She felt the water swallow her up and she lost some of her hearing as everything above her died down to slightly muted sounds. She quickly realized that her fate was still not looking so good as she could not swim if her hands were still bound together. _Especially_ if she had little experience in swimming within deep waters (thanks to the overprotective nature of her father).

Her body was getting number by the second and she felt a strange sleepiness coming to her, even though she didn't need sleep anytime soon. Whatever was on that dart was not going to help make her situation any better.

Slowly she sank and she felt her body protest against the pressures of the water and as it demanded fresh air in her lungs.

Was this how she was going to die?

Then, without warning, a large hand grabbed her and she felt herself be pulled upward at a very fast pace until finally her head broke through the surface and she was given a chance to fill her lungs up with as much air as she could. It was at that moment that true darkness took over and she lost all awareness to the world around her.

* * *

"Kid? Kid are you ok?" A very concerned voice asked as she became aware that she was laying down upon the sand and could hear the waves off in the distance. Was it all a dream, then?

She panted for air as she tried to sit up and she could hear Pua squealing in delight before he collided into her. She let out an 'Oof!" before trying to open her eyes, but to her horror, not only could she barely open them a crack but everything was blurry to the point that all the blues of the night sky and the sea blended together.

"No!" She cried out in horror as she tried to pry her eyes open some more, but they were stuck! "I can't see! Why can't I see?!" She wanted to cry–was this going to be forever?!

"Hey, don't do that!" A pair of hands quickly grabbed her wrists. The hands were alarmingly large (larger than her own father's) and it felt as if they could easily snap her arms like twigs and yet there was a gentleness about their grip that felt friendly. "I did what I could, but its going to take a day before it can come off. I had to put a salve over your eyes for good measure but trust me, you won't lose your sight. I actually had that happen to me once!" The voice–a man's voice–laughed. It was the kind of laugh that was full of life and very friendly and somehow Moana could tell that the laugh was as big as the man must have been.

"I kept running into things and I couldn't even dare try to get on a boat! There would have been no telling where I'd go! I could have been clear across the world or I'd go right into literal jaws of death!" The man's voice was equally comforting as it made Moana think of a warm day when the sun was at its highest and brightest. It helped make her feel better about her situation and she felt that she could relax after learning that she would not lose her eyes.

"Oh that's good!" She let out a sigh of relief. "I don't know what I would do if I couldn't see the ocean again. Or my family." She added. "I don't know how I'd be able to live if I couldn't see."

"Good thing I found you at the right time!" The man's voice now sounded smug. "I came soaring in and grabbed you from those little pests. Oh, and the pig." He added. "I saved the pig too."

"Thank you." Moana smiled as she felt Pua rub against her and she began to pet him. She heard the man take in a breath of air and he almost sang the words " _You're welcome"_ to her. It sounded very smug and rehearsed as if saying those words were a sort of second nature to him, and it made her laugh.

"It was scary, but it was a lot of fun." Moana confessed. "I mean, it didn't turn out how I liked at the end, but I'd never imagine that I would get captured by those things ever in my life! but I got to go out into the ocean, like I always wanted to and I even got to kick those little weird things away when I tried to escape! I even saved Pua from becoming their dinner!" She was practically bouncing in her spot before she finally turned to face her savior.

She couldn't make him out that well, but she could see (or what she thought she could see) was long dark hair, strange pale things around his neck, and that he was possibly the biggest man she had ever seen in her entire life. It would have taken two men standing shoulder to shoulder to fill out his form.

If only she could see who her savior was! She couldn't see any of the details that were important, like his eyes! Worse yet, she could tell that her excitement was making him smile and she couldn't even see that! Only Pua could see him and he couldn't tell her since he was a pig!

"You are not like most children." He couldn't help but say. "Especially young girls your age, but I admire that. You'd even make a great explorer one day. Actually come to think of it, I'd almost want to see someone like you in a place like Lalotai." He chuckled. "I think the monsters would be really confused if they saw an excited young girl running around in that place without a care in the world.

"Who are you?" Moana asked. "I can't recognize your voice. Are you from another island?"

"Not... exactly." He admitted. "I suppose I belong to every part of this ocean."

"Maybe if you bring me to my father, I'm sure he'll reward you somehow." Moana continued.

There was a silence.

"Hello?" She asked and the man shifted a little.

"I know this'll sound weird, but I don't think I'd be up for a reward this time around. Maybe just... just don't forget about me?" He sounded lonely when he said that last part. "I'm used to helping others out and saving people's necks but..." He sighed. "I don't know, I don't feel like my usual self nowadays. I save someone, it feels good, then I got to move on and it happens again." He paused. "I have no idea why I just admitted that to a little kid." He scoffed at himself.

"Then how about you be my friend?" Moana asked as she stood up and held her hand out to the mystery man. "You sound like you need a friend." She added as kindly as she could. "What is your name–?"

The man hesitated and was about to say his name when–

"MOANA!"

"MOANA, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

The girl gasped as she heard her name being called by the villagers and she tried to figure out where they were. "They're looking for me!" She turned back to the man. "Are you sure you don't–"

"No, I think I'll pass. Having a chance to talk with someone for a bit was good enough for me."

"But what about your name?! I didn't get it!"

But instead of a name, the man moved closer towards her and she felt herself be drawn into a really, really, big hug. She was so tiny in comparison to him that she felt like he wasn't even a man to begin with. However, she could make out something important through the blurriness of her vision–whoever this man was had tattoos upon his body, because she could barely make out certain dark shapes upon his skin.

"You'll figure it out one day." The man softly told her. "Just... for now I'll remember you and your adventure that you got to experience."

Moana closed her eyes and returned the hug. The man felt as warm as his voice, even when she tried her best to wrap her arms around his body, but she could barely get her hands beyond where his rib cage was. It was like trying to hug the biggest mountain on the island, yet this mountain was able to hug her back. It made her feel safe.

She could hear her name get louder and louder and she could hear her father calling for her.

"I hope you get to go back out on the ocean, kid. It likes people like you."

Slowly the man moved away until she was out of her grasp and she heard him pick something up off the sands that was nearby.

"MOANA!"

"Grandma?!" Moana called as she turned around to face the direction of her grandmother's voice.

There was a strange flashing sound from behind her and she turned around, but there was no blurred sign of her rescuer.

It was as if he was never there to begin with. She didn't even get a chance to say good–bye to him.

The next day, when her vision cleared up and she could see perfectly again, she tried to figure out who the identity of her rescuer was, but no one saw anyone with her besides Pua. And because her father was so nervous about what happened, she was forced to see the ocean from a distance at her village, with Pua beside her.

"I wish you could tell me who it was who saved us." She sighed to Pua, who gave her a sympathetic glance. "All I know is what he sounds like and that he has tattoos on his chest. Or maybe more? I don't know."

There would be no way she would ever forget that voice. She would try to remember it for as long as she could, in case she ever saw the man again. In the meantime, she refused to give up her dream of going out into the ocean because there was now more things to look forward to when she did.

"Maybe one day I'll meet him again and find out who it was who saved me." She smiled. "At least I will be able to recognize him by the sound of his voice. Also, now that I think about it," She scowled "I'll need to make sure I never get kidnapped again."

She was not going to look at coconuts the same way again for quite awhile.

* * *

 **So yay or nay?**

 **I wanted to see a Little Mermaid inspired AU for Moana (they both have the same directors and all) and I guess I went ahead? If I continue with this, the relationship between the two will be platonic ( I had mentioned in a post that perhaps becoming a human could involve someone wanting a person for who they are instead of what they are to avoid the need to prove oneself with a kiss in three days). I love the idea of Moana x Maui, but she was too young for that in the film and I like the friendship they already have.**

 **And yes, if I do continue this, Tamatoa is taking Ursula's place. And maybe Heihei as the dumbest version of Sebastian in any Little Mermaid AU.**

 **EDIT: cloth did not exist in that era from what I learned. I also forgot to include a word that I had to add in.**


	2. Conflict

**73 views a day after it gets published and a handful of reviews?! *Smiles in delight* I didn't get a lot of likes on tumblr for the last chapter but I'm glad you guys are liking this so far.**

 **Now I, like so many others, am not super familiar with the Polynesian cultures, but I will do my best (and thankfully I own a copy of 'The Art of Moana' to help me somewhat). If I ever write something that goes against the culture or is not accurate, please let me know.**

 **Now to respond to some reviews:**

 **jhalpernkitcat: AAAAAAHHHH!** Someone from tumblr who saw that post I did! :D :D :D

I know Moana already asked Maui to be her friend, but remember that he is a guy who likes being adored and can't get enough of that. Plus he's not in the trial period during that time so this doesn't count, but that encounter would make a strong impact on someone like him (And it COULD play into what happens later on). And Moana gained her sight back the day after that encounter, but I wanted something similar to what happened in the Little Mermaid (Eric only got to see a not so decent glimpse of Ariel before she hurried away, in addition to hearing her voice).

 **Fan (Guest):** Moana will be in her teens in this story, but... I mean, he COULD wait until she's a little older, but I wanted to make this a platonic AU for the sake of the friendship they had in the film (I REALLY want to ship them, but I want to resist doing it for this particular AU). I wrote a post about this idea on tumblr under my other name (tornrose24) and you'll see how this adaption is going to work... or keep reading to find out.

 **multyfangirl18:** I was refering to Moana. I've heard that it was ok to get married at that age back then, but she's a teenager and Maui physically looks somewhere between his 30's and 40's (and since Dwayne Johnson's features were included in the design and you compare how old he is to Moana's voice actress... yeah, I would rather that Moana was older than a teenager in order for that kind of relationship to work). Plus she wasn't thinking of romance during the film, so I'm sticking with what was given to us.

Also they didn't say when Ariel got married in her story and I doubt it was the very next day she got to be a human. Not all Disney gals get married after three or so days.

 **Sally:** Your thoughts will be answered to in this chapter. But yeah, I think the Disney version of Maui would like to have friends that won't die before him. A Little Mermaid AU always appealed to me but some people have already turned Moana into a sort of mermaid in fan art (and in Maui's case a... mershark? I don't know what the right word for that is).

 **Note that in this AU, everyone is out voyaging. The heart of Te Fiti was never stolen, but there are still dangers in the ocean. However there are still reasons as to why Chief Tui doesn't want Moana out on the ocean, as you will learn pretty soon.**

 **Something important to keep note of:**

 **fale- a type of house. They vary in apperance and some can be used fro ceremonial or religious purposes (from what I understand).**

 **tapa- this was a type of 'cloth' made from a certain tree. Those tapestries in the beginning of the film were made with these (again, from what I do understand).**

 **Hoani- a Maori name. If it is not accurate I will use a different name.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Conflict**

Quite a few years had passed since Moana had been kidnapped by the kakamora, but that itself was a minor occurence compared to what else was occuring around the southern seas of the world. On an island somewhere close to Motonui (and yet not quite) a certain catastrophe was about to occur as the sun was setting as a large bird crashed through the roof of the Chief's fale.

A number of the villagers and the chief himself immediately responded to the occurance and when they made it into the fale, there was one huge hole in the roof of the fale, but it was nothing compared to who was inside the building.

"I didn't think something as precious as this could get in the hands of humans, but I guess you guys find your ways." A muscular man who almost seemed to be as large as a mountain with a series of tattoos on what seemed to be every inch of his body commented as he held up a necklace in one hand while the other held a large fish hook over his shoulder. If it wasn't the tattoos that showed his accomplishments, then it was the fish hook that gave away his true identity.

"What is it supposed to be for, a wedding present or is this a ceremonial trinket?" He asked as he held the necklace up. It was a beautiful necklace with carefully woven fibers holding together pieces of shells, bones, and a very lovely red stone that would clearly shine under the right lighting.

"That is a gift for the family of the Chief of Motonui!" The chief snarled as he took a few steps closer to the man. "I did not promise that to you as payment for protecting us from those monsters!"

"Yeah, true." The man nonchalantly began. "Except I don't recall you giving me the supplies I asked for as payment. That was all I asked for, and yet you decided that even something as simple as that wasn't worth giving away. So unless this is a big deal to you guys–which it isn't–then I'll take it from you guys as a reminder not to cheat someone out of a deal ever again." He looked up at the roof. "Plus you now have some much needed lighting in this place, so it wasn't that bad of a trade off, right?"

The chief yelled out in fury as he took a spear from one of his men and charged at the large man.

He sighed as he lowered his hand, swung his hook out, and the markings upon it glowed with a blue light. Within moments his form shifted to that of a large brown hawk that not only knocked the chief to the ground as he turned around, but he charged through to the ceiling, dodged quite a few spears that were sent up at him, and made a second large hole in the ceiling when he made his get away.

It was quite a nice addition to the archetiecture, he thought to himself.

"GET BACK HERE, MAUI!" The Chief yelled at the hawk as his men tried to help him up. "I WILL TELL THE OTHERS WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, YOU HEAR ME?! YOU CAN'T TAKE WHAT WASN'T PROMISED TO YOU!"

The hawk let out a laugh as he flapped his wings and got away from the island as fast as he could. "It's always the ones who talk big that I don't have to worry about!" He spoke to himself.

The bird flew to a boat that was hidding behind a large rock and it was there that the bird changed into a man who dropped onto the boat and quickly undid its binds to one of the smaller rocks. There was still a smirk on the man's face as the wind blew into his wild mane of dark hair, yet his brown eyes had already lost their mischeviousness that he was sometimes more known for over his heroic feats.

"Heh," He paused long enough to look at the necklace, which held no true value for him other then serving as a reminder that those people didn't really appreciate all that he had done for them. How often did that even happen anymore? He had helped humanity for so long that they were taking his services for granted.

"Even their 'thank yous' are getting hallower than an empty coconut." He mused as he was able to let the sails of his boat go and the wind quickly took him away from the island. When was the last time he could remember a 'thank you' being so sincere and full of appreciation?

Unknown to him, someone had been watching everything that had happened from start to finish. From Maui's success with driving the monsters away to the instant he had escaped, as well as the moment he was denied a reward. Honestly, the stupid look of offense and shock he had on his face when that happened would make a good memory to laugh at for many decades to come. With a deep chuckle, he sank down into the depths of the ocean as he began to see that there might be something that could work to his advantage.

And finally get the revenge he so rightfully desired.

* * *

"Alright, that was wonderful!" A sixteen year old Moana clapped her hands together after finishing the dancing lesson with her young students. "You all are going to be amazing!"

"But none of us dance as wonderfully as you do, Moana!" A little girl exclaimed. "When the Chief and his people from the other island come to visit, you will be the best dancer of us all!"

"And you will look so pretty in your ceremonial attire!" Another girl beamed. "You'll be the most beautiful of all the ladies!"

Moana let out a laugh as Pua came to brush against her legs. "I wouldn't make claims like that, but I appreciate it!" She picked Pua up and waved to the children. "Bye!" She then gently grabbed one of Pua's front feet and playfully waved it at the children. " _'Bye-bye!'_ " She pretended to say on Pua's behalf.

"Bye!"

"Bye, Moana!"

Moana smiled as she walked away. "You'd think that for once we would get to go to the islands and perform for them instead." She told Pua as she turned to the ocean and let out a sigh of longingness. "If only father would stop being afraid and let me go."

She had only one time out on the ocean and she never forgot it. Yet she wanted to trully experience the ocean and feel the wood of a canoe under her feet and the wind blowing through her hair. Getting kidnapped, fighting for her life, and getting blinded was not the same as that. "You remember when we got to be out on the ocean, don't you Pua?"

Pua let out an uncomfortable grunt.

"Yeah, those things _did_ want to make you their dinner." Moana agreed.

"Ever since I was found that night, father became very adamant that I wouldn't go near the shore without someone by my side, let alone anywhere near a canoe." Moana reflected as she continued to walk towards her grandma's fale. "I told the story and he didn't believe anything other than that I was out at sea." She frowned. "I know it has been many years since his friend drowned in the ocean, and I know he forbade me and mother to leave with him since he fears that history will repeat itself. But I wish he could trust me enough to at least let me learn under someone! How can I be the future Chief if I am not allowed to go to the other islands, Pua?!"

When she briefly turned away, she could see that Heihei the rooster was trying to peck at a bush for reasons that could only make sense to him. "Any day now, he'll walk right to a cook and serve himself as our next meal." She chuckled. She had done everything to save Heihei, but with each attempt to speak on his behalf, it seemed the dumb bird gave the cook a new reason to prep him for dinner.

She almost wanted to know what went on through Heihei's head but she doubted it would be anything enlightening for her own benefit.

She glanced back to the ocean as she continued her walk. She thanked the gods that her blindness only lasted for a short time and that she could enjoy the sight of the ocean in all of its beauty. She couldn't explain it, but...

"I feel like each time I look at the ocean, it keeps calling to me. It wants to appologize for what almost happened to me." She mused. She had tried to double her efforts to respect the ocean since then and sometimes she talked to the water when no one was looking. She prayed that it would guide her father on safe voyages and that one day it would do the same for her when her time would come.

"Perhaps I _am_ going to be the next village crazy lady." Moana laughed. "Maybe I should learn a thing or two about that from Grandma Tala. She would glady welcome a successor."

Grandma Tala was in her fale when Moana found her and the eldery woman was once again recounting tales of monsters and gods to a group of young children. Moana set Pua outside and walked right in as Grandma Tala finished up another story.

"And that is why our days are long and productive." Grandma Tala was obviously recounting a tale about Maui slowing down the sun. "With the aid of his magical fish hook, Maui helped us grow our crops _and_ give us time to enjoy the rest of the day."

"And without his help, we would surely be lost in darkness and grow hungry." Moana chimmed in, causing the children to turn around to face her and the old woman to smile at her granddaughter.

"Maui has faced many monsters and many dangers that most wouldn't dare try to face." Moana smiled at the tapa that depicted the demi-god and the animals that he shape shifted into. Some of his stories were among her favorite tales that Tala herself told to her. "All he has done has been on our behalf because he is very fond of mortals. It would be good fortune if one were to ever meet him, and yet because he takes on different forms we could go through our whole lives not knowing that we have seen him. No matter how many versions of his tales are told, he will always be remembered as a hero to all. I know that I myself would love to have his daring and cunningness in the most difficult of times." Moana admitted with a chuckle.

"But Maui isn't always nice." A boy told Moana and all the children looked at him. "My dad said that he likes to trick people to get what he wants and sometimes he'll try to do impossible things to boast about just because he can."

"Yeah, didn't he rip off a monster's leg one time for no reason?" Another boy asked as he pointed to a certain tapa. Moana turned around to see that the particular tapa depicted a giant monster crab. The crab's face looked a little comical, and yet there was a sinisterness about him that made it clear that he was _not_ to be taken so lightly.

"Tamatoa?" Moana approached the tapa and placed a hand on the crab. "Well, he _is_ one of the most dangerous creatures in all of Lalotai. Some actually think he was once a great warrior or a lost member of a royal family who was either cursed or came back as a crab. He loves treaure more than anything in the world and he will decorate himself with them like they're jewellry–"

A few children laughed at this. A crab who loves to wear treasures? What a silly thought!

"–but he also uses it to attract his prey." Moana recounted as she turned to the children with a big grin. "The shinier something is, the more he'll want it, so you better make sure you don't have anything like that on you!" She pretended to snatch at them with her hand as if it were a claw, causing a few children to recoil away from her. "He might think _'Oh, what a nice looking bracelet! Perhaps I shall take it off that cute child's tiny wrist!'_ " She spoke in a deep voice when she pretended to be Tamatoa and she did the motion again to the nearest little girl who let out a giggle and playfully patted Moana's hand away. " _'Tamatoa must have every shiny, sparkly thing that he sees!'_ " Moana growled in delight.

"He was also once a good friend of Maui's." Grandma Tala added. "Both were equally prideful and loved to boast about their accomplishments until one day they had an arguement and Maui tore one of Tamatoa's legs off. No one knows what the arguement was, but even to this day, Tamatoa has not regained that leg. It is said that he is waiting for the chance to have his revenge on Maui for his loss."

One of the boys scoffed. "So? He's just a dumb crab!"

"A _big_ crab!" Another boy reminded him.

"But be warned children." Grandma Tala added as her voice took on a sinister tone. "For they say that Tamatoa had become so obsessed with making himself beautiful with his treasures to compensate for his ugliness, that he is not as sane as he once was. He even started to develop a taste for humans just to keep gaining more trinkets. There is no telling just how much further he would go to accomplish his goals. Remember my children– outer appearances and great accomplishments are fine and all, but they mean nothing without what is important on the inside." She looked directly at Moana when she said those last words, as if she was trying to tell her something. "And appearances can be _very_ deceving."

"So we won't go near any shiny things." A girl decided. "We'll be safe."

"Except there is one final trap to be mindful of." Moana couldn't help but add. "He loves to use his voice to attract his prey if the treasures doesn't cut it. They say his singing is as beautiful and hypnotic as he is ugly and selfish, so should he ever sing to you, it might already be too late!" She pretended to be Tamatoa again as she creeped towards the childen, her hands curled to resemble claws, and just when she was about to strike–

"For Te Fiti's sake, I would think that you would make a better story teller than a chief!"

"Ah!" A startled Moana broke her act and she turned around to face Chief Tui. "Father!"

"Son!" Grandma Tala chuckled before turning to the children. "That is all for today, but I hope you remember that story for the sake of the future. Farewell for now."

The children got up off the floor and waved to the Chief and his family before they hurried off to go out to play.

"If not a storyteller, then perhaps a crab." Tui mused before turning to Moana with a smile. "I hear that you're dancing is coming along well; keep up the good work, but remember that there is still so much that needs preparation before Chief Hoani comes." He told her before walking away from the fale as Pua scrambled to get inside.

Moana frowned as she walked up to Grandma Tala and the tapa of Maui. "I could do so much more for Motonui besides dancing for the other Chiefs and talking with them. If only he would let go of that fear of losing me." Moana spoke as she placed a hand over Maui's fish hook. If only she could have it, so that she could turn into one of his creatures and get away from here for at least one day. She envied the demi-god more than she ever had in her life.

"He'll learn eventually that you must go out into the world to learn as much as you can." Grandma Tala told Moana.

"I want to be there for my people, but sometimes wish I could be as free as Maui." Moana said as she looked at the demi-god, who seemed so fierce in this depiction on the tapa and yet so much like the trickster they said he was. "I sometimes wish I never went back to Motonui when I had been taken away." She closed her eyes. "I know what they all expect of me, but I would give _anything_ to be on the sea and live out more stories. I want to have both land and sea be part of my life without losing sight of who I am."

Tala understood her granddaughter's frusterations perfectly. She had prayed to the gods that fortune could favor her family and she wished that Moana could find her happiness like Tui did with his people and with his family. She decided to change tactics and asked Moana "So you still haven't learned who your rescuer was then?"

"All I know is that the man seemed so smug about what he had done, and yet there was a strange loneliness about him." Moana admitted. "I still remember that voice and how full of life it seemed. Everything is is vague but that if I ever heard that voice again I would know it was him, no question about it."

"Sounds like a man with his head at least partly attatched to his shoulders." Grandma Tala chuckled. "But don't worry, Moana," She placed a reasuring arm around the girl. "If the sea knows how much you love it, I am sure it will one day take you back. Maybe one day I'll see if there can be a way to get you off this island again if all doesn't turn out the way you wanted it to be. I want to see you live out a happy life, even if it is not the same as the life you dreamt of."

Moana smiled back. "Thanks Grandma."

The two walked out of the fale, but they didn't notice that Pua was staring at them in frusteration. The pig then turned to the tapa of Maui and let out an annoyed grunt.

It took _him_ awhile to figure out _who_ Moana's rescuer was until he had sat through some of the tales of Maui and took a long look at the fish hook and the bird on the tapa. He knew that both the demi-god and the man who had saved him and Moana from those–ugh–pests, were one and the same.

He wished deep down that there was a way for Moana to know that it was Maui who had saved her and who she had hugged that night. She didn't notice any of his previous attempts to let her know, and she laughed them off if he wasn't chased away by someone. Pua knew she would have liked it if she knew the truth.

* * *

Somewhere on a lone island in the dead of night, Maui stared at the useless necklace as he reflected on his accomplishments and tried to remember how long it took for the people to appreciate all he had done. It was a rare sight to see the normally upbeat demi-god seem withdrawn or a little depressed and he wanted to have his privacy for that exact reason.

Yes, he had done many a great thing for the mortals. He pulled up islands, slowed down the sun, fought many monsters, and all of these feats were shown to the world in the form of his many tattoos. He was infused with this ocean and its myths as much as the gods were and he was a part of the world of humans in all but their lifespan.

It was a never ending cyle. They would love him for all that he did for a few years, and then it would be like he never did anything at all to begin with. Then something would come up and then he would have to help them again, then they'd praise him, yada, yada, yada.

It was really tiring to go through this. Every, single, generation, of humans. What else could he do to earn their love and adoration?

He hated being stuck in-between two worlds sometimes. He knew for a fact that he didn't want to be a god, due to the responsibilities (he knew for a fact that he would probably be the last person considered for such a position and it would not have been so fun if he couldn't get to do whatever he liked anymore). Sometimes he wanted to retire and go back to being a human, even if a short lifespan scared the heck out of him.

He felt something whacking against the left side of his chest and he looked down to see a smaller tattooed version of himself trying to get his attention. "What?" he demanded bitterly.

The tattoo of himself–or Mini Maui as he refered that tattoo– pointed to something and he watched as a scene of a previous rescue played out on the left side of his chest. It showed the little girl and the pig he saved from the kakamora some time ago and it showed her reaching out to him, despite being unable to see at the time. He almost felt sorry for her back then, but her joy at her adventure was enough to quit the pitying.

Mini Maui smiled at the girl and hugged her in a big embrace for a second before she was absorbed into him and the rest of the scene vanished.

"Yeah, I remember the kid." Maui said. "But she didn't know it was me who saved her. I wouldn't be suprised if she already died by now." Another reason why it was not so fun being immortal. Almost everyone died before him, including too many children that he had met in his life. He sighed as he set the necklace aside and gazed upon the moon. "Don't know if she would have wanted me around if she knew what she was getting herself into." There was that one final problem- he was a danger to mortals as there was no telling what danger he would bring to them.

Maui then realized that someone or _something_ was right behind him while he had been distracted. He mentally cursed himself as he made to grab for his hook when that person spoke.

"What's a matter, little Maui? Not having fun saving those mortals you so adore?"

Oh. _Heck_. _No._

He knew _who_ it was. If it wasn't the accent, then it was the tone of the voice–condescending, scheming, sinister when the owner so desired, and dangerous if used to lure a certain kind of prey–that gave him away.

"I saw what happened on that island. Pretty ungreatful of them if you ask me. I would have done more then scare them and steal them blind if it were me, but why bother, right?" He laughed.

"What do you want?" Maui demanded in a careful tone as his hand inched towards the hook.

"Oh, I just want to know what is going on through your head right now, Maui man. Are you ready to give it all up and stop helping them? You can't fight in every battle and save every one of those simple, fragile humans. Why should you if they turned your back on you once before?"

Maui grabbed the hook and he heard the voice take a sharp intake of air. _He_ probably remembered what happened the last time he saw that hook. Slowly the demi-god turned around and came face to face with a creature who almost shone in the moonlight thanks to the amount of treasures that somehow stuck to his shell. His eyes would have been considered a lovely shade of blue to anyone else, but one pupil was dialated and both eyes squinted at Maui with a careful gaurdedness that almost matched the smug smile on his face.

Maui could also see out of the corner of his eye that the giant crab was still missing one of the legs on the left side of his body.

"So what do you want to get off your chest, mon ami?" The crab grinned wide enough to reveal crooked teeth covered in barnacales (much like his 'chin' if that was what it could be called). It _never_ ceased to amaze Maui as to why such a voice as that could belong to something so... _unappealing_ in apperance (and that was putting it kindly). "I mean that figuratively, of course, I don't know if I want to see your tattoos come off your body. That would be a weird sight to see, but I digress. Ol' Tamatoa is all... well I suppose I don't have _actual_ ears," Tamatoa let out an unpleasant chuckle. "But I'll still give it a listen."

* * *

 **And now his Crabuloussness... err... the reason that some of you probably wanted to read this... ehh...**

 **Ok, yeah I'm fond of Tamatoa and he finally showed up. I'm a sucker for characters like him (you might already know that if you read my Zelda AUs) but... man is his song AWESOME! I wish he was in the film longer! Disney, please let him show up in a Moana short! You did shorts for Frozen and Tangled and they both featured antagonists from those films! Or at least give us a Moana musical instead of a Frozen musical, I'd give you my money for that!**

 **Poor Moana has** _ **no**_ **idea what she's going to get trapped in the feud between Maui and Tamatoa *laughs*. My favorite part of the whole chapter to write out was the story-telling.**

 **I read from one particular article that the name Tamatoa is a name that came from a warrior and was also used within a certain Royal Family... and that one reviwer in the article was very offended that Disney used that name for one of the antagonists in the film. As much as I like that name now, I can understand why that would seem offensive. That's why I was inspired to add that one odd bit in the myth behind the character in this AU.**

 **Anyway, for those of you who are already making parallels, Pua IS meant to be like Max from the Little Mermaid, since he was the only one close to Eric who knew who Ariel was.**

 **Ok, I'll shut up now. Let's see where this goes and I don't know if I can make a Tamatoa version of the song 'Poor Unfortunate Souls' but I can try to write out something that feels similar to that if its not a song.**


	3. A devil in all his splendor

**EDIT: tried to fix some things that didn't seem to flow right.**

 **I once posted on tumblr that I discovered a story about a mythological Moana who was mermaid like and even encountered one version of Maui. No I am not making this up. Its actually pretty cool and some of the coincidences are pretty interesting when you learn about them.**

 **jhalpernkitcat:** Heh, heh, that's ok. And I've kind of taken for granted that Tamatoa might be one of the biggest reasons why people would be drawn to this fic, in addition to the specific AU in mind. I loved the idea of Moana using story telling to build up to Tamatoa's eventual appearance and I thought it would be cute if she pretended to be him and interact as such with the children (it was one of the last minute additions actually :) ). Poor Pua is going to not have a whole lot of fun being unable to communicate during this fan fic. Communication with characters who can't speak is going to be a good challenge for me as a writer and trying to figure out a way to get characters _who can't verbally communicate important messages to each other_ will be interesting.

Tamatoa's voice being used to attract prey was inspired by the very fact that his song helped in making me want to see Moana immediately after I heard it. Even in the movie itself his singing works the same way when Maui sings 'You're Welcome" by serving as a distraction before cutting right to the chase/trapping the prey (Moana wasn't expecting either of them to sing and they worked to get her distracted to varying degrees). Plus both his speaking voice and his singing voice are very enjoyable to listen to and I am a sucker for a good voice (thank you Jemaine Clements, wherever you are). I think Tamatoa himself is aware that his voice can be a lure and of course, if Tamatoa would want to attract someone with his voice, it wouldn't be fish. ;)

 **Trevor:** Tamatoa is as charismatic as Dr. Facilier is and they both have awesome songs. I think the glow in the dark bit was meant to be a nod to 'Friends on the other side' but more neon-y. Actually Dr. Facilier _was_ my favorite Disney antagonist until I saw Moana. *laughs* I'm a sucker for a good voice.

 **JayFan67:** Hmm... I tried to but... uh, you'll find out the answer pretty soon. I can't make any guarantees, but I don't mind doing a _little_ ship tease when I deem that its ok and I don't want to ruin anything that could spoil the story. I mean Moana's parents are a guaranteed pairing in this fic, but at this point I don't know who will be paired up with who.

 **Guest:** It is pretty sad, what happened to Maui. What really is unfortunate is that what happened to him HAS actually happened in real life (even today) and most of those cases did not end well for those poor infants. It's pretty disgusting but I'm glad that its getting acknowledged so that we can try to prevent those cases from happening or even ending up with the death of a child.

 **Guest:** I don't know if it was ever acknowledged in the film that adoration fuels one's power and I don't know if that is a thing in Polynesian mythology. Its clear in this case that he is genuinely loved and appreciated by some humans (and in the film its there, despite what he did), but everyone has their moments of doubt.

 **VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:** Oh boy... trust me when I say 'loosely inspired by the Little Mermaid' but when I realized what I had to do to Maui in order for this AU to work, I had to look into something important. I like the uniqueness of Maui's character design, and I admit that I didn't want to do this to him.

I tried my best to look into the history of tattoos in Polynesian culture to see if deliberately _**removing tattoos or burning them**_ is considered highly offensive, a sign of bad luck, or sacreligious in any way. I still have not found out anything in regards to this, other than it is not acceptable to make your own tattoo identical to another's. As I may have said before, _**I want to try to respect the cultures that were represented in the original film**_ because I am aware of how important it is _**to accurately depict another culture or religion**_ without making a big mistake. Most of Maui's tattoos are a pretty big give away to his identity and while you can predict what is going to happen with this note in mind, _**I only want to do this with the knowledge that I am not commiting a serious offense. Please let me know and I can try to find a way to work around this if what happens is not acceptable in the Polynesian culture.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 3: A devil in all his splendor**

"Well for starters I'd like to know why you decided to stalk me like an unwanted fan." Maui demanded as he tightened his grip on his fish hook.

This earned him the rather enjoyable sight of Tamatoa flinching back in shocked offense. The crab quickly recovered as he rolled his his eyes and moved forward. "Oh please, like I'd want to do that when I got other things to look into that are more important."

"If you're just here to torment me, I'll let you know that its working on a scale of how annoying it is." Maui slowly raised up the fish hook and began tapping it against the palm of his free hand. "So why don't you go back to Lalotai and leave before I'm tempted to do something we'll both regret."

"Well if the hero of mortals isn't the same as he used to be and he's acting like he's about to turn his back on the people he adores, then of course I'd be curious!" The giant crab scoffed. "The way you were going, it's like you want to renounce your status as a demi-god and–" Tamatoa stoped at this as a thought struck him. "Wait... wait a minute..." A smile was slowly creeping up on his face. "You want to stop helping the humans–" He was trying his hardest to supress a laugh– "and go back to being one?! Is that it?!"

When Maui did not deny this in any way and took too long to do so (a big mistake in itself), the crab let out a "Pffft- HA!" and proceeded to let out a series of roaring laughs. "AH, HA, HA, HA, HA!" He was struggling to breathe and lowered himself as he tried to hold onto something but failed and ended up pounding one of his claws against the sand. Each pound sent a tremor through the ground as well as send sand flying up and Maui could barely keep his footing on the ground. Each pound felt like he was about to topple over at any moment if he couldn't keep still.

"AH, HA, HA, HA, HA! OH G- HA, HA, HA, HA! THAT HAS TO BE THE FUNNIEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD! OH GODS, I CAN'T BREATHE!" Tamatoa was already during a dark shade of red and purple as he struggled to get his breath. "HA, HA- ah ha, ah _haaaaaaaahhhh_!" The last laugh was drawn out as a cross between a laugh and a wheeze. An uncomfortable Maui waited patiently for the crab to recover and once that happened, Tamatoa was still trying to get some air and he looked like he was about to cry because he had laughed that hard.

"No seriously, you actually want to go back to being like the ones you tossed you into the ocean like a rock?! The very same things that you've tried so hard to win the love of that you can't get enough of?!" He snorted. "Maybe you _did_ hit your head on a rock."

Maui wanted to deny it and yet he couldn't after being put on the spot like this. Worse yet, Tamatoa could see what his answer was through the long silence alone and he had a way with tearing into one's insecurities that Maui was not fond of.

"You know it's words like those that caused me to lash out and take that leg off." Maui growled. "I miss the old days, but you had to keep getting into people's heads and making them feel like they were nothing!" This caused all humor to vanish from Tamatoa's features as his eyes narrowed at Maui. " _At least I'm not the one who could risk going to extremes just to win everyone's approval!_ " The crab growled in a low voice as his head moved towards Maui and his crooked teeth were bared out. _"Whose to say that the next thing you try to do for them will either end in you dying or the whole world collapsing in on itself?!"_

The two stared each other down and there was no telling who would make the first strike.

Finally Tamatoa moved back as his voice raised back to its natural pitch. "Funny thing is that I do know a way to turn someone into a mortal." He casually smirked like he wasn't angry at Maui just mere seconds ago. "Of course it'll cost you, but hey, why keep up this hero act if it causes you so much emotional damage? And who knows what you'll do to try to earn _proper_ adoration from someone who won't die in under one hundred years?" He made to turn away and head back into the sea before adding something as an after thought.

"I mean it'd probably be much easier to find what you seek as a mortal. Besides, isn't watching all those precious mortal children who adore you die off from old age getting to be a bit too much for your mental health?"

Tamatoa then turned back to the sea. "You know where to find me when you made up your mind, Maui." He almost sang as he crawled into the waters and sank into its dark depths.

Maui stared at the spot where Tamatoa had been before he sighed and sat back down.

He felt Mini Maui try to catch his attention and when he looked down he could see the tattoo was shaking his head with a worried frown on his face.

"You don't think I should take up his offer?" He asked.

The tattoo pointed to the people that were also on his skin as well as the monsters. He was trying to remind his host of his responsibilities but it wasn't working.

"Yeah, I know, but someone will have to eventually replace me, right?" He asked as he let out another sigh and held his face in his hands. "I hate to admit this, but he's right; I can't keep doing this forever. And I don't want to put the ocean in jeporady if I try to make every mortal immortal. I'd totally do it, you know." He warned. "That would be the ultimate gift I could ever give to humanity."

He weighed his options carefully; whatever he would chose would have some sort of consequence in the future. He didn't trust Tamatoa, but the selfish part of him that he tried to supress for the sake of everyone else was giving into temptation.

It took him a few hours to think things over for a bit until finally he came to a decision. Without so much as looking back, he headed to the ocean where he transformed into a shark and headed to Lalotai.

* * *

"So you actually came." Tamatoa smirked as he turned around. "I'm almost suprised at you Maui, but hey it's your choice and lifestyle, not mine." He looked down at the demi-god who had entered his large (and beautiful) home in Lalotai and who only momentarily eyed the treasures within. Tamatoa's possessive nature over his treasures almost took over when he saw this and was about to give out a warning before Maui glanced back at the crab.

"Let's just get this over with before I realize what I'm doing." Maui began as he walked towards the crab with his hook over his shoulder.

Tamatoa was secretly delighted; he knew that this plan would work in his favor either way, but if there was a way to get back at Maui or even humiliate him in the process, then it was even better.

"I admit that in the past that I've been a nasty," Tamatoa's voice changed as it sounded like he was about to sing. " _What with insulting you and giving you some heck, but as a favor to a friend, and a hand-er-claw to lend, I can-_ "

"Please no singing." Maui grimaced. The last thing he needed was to turn this ordeal into some ridiculous musical number, which, no thank you, by the way.

No really, he did not want any singing involved.

Tamatoa frowned in annoyance. "And suppose there is someone out there who wants to hear me-"

"NO SINGING!" Maui yelled in frusteration as he pointed his hook at the crab. "I swear I'm going to head right back if you do!"

"WELL FINE!" Tamatoa snapped right back as he sighed, went to get what he was going to use, and began to grumble. "Stupid... ugh... doesn't like my singing..." He found the huge oyster shell and set it on the ground near Maui. The shell itself was tall enough to almost reach the demi-god's knees.

"His loss." Tamatoa scowled as he grabbed a few strange things like seaweed, some sort of bone, bright blue fragments of a rare type of coral, and a few other things that Maui did not want to recognize, before tossing them in the shell. Maui almost flinched when the giant crab started crushing them up with the end of his giant claw before reaching over to grab a rare species of eel that was alive and thrashing for its life in his grip. When Tamatoa held it over the shell, Maui closed his eyes before he could actually see the crab snapping the thing in two and did who knew what else to it before tossing that all in too.

"Ok, now here's how this will work." Tamatoa said in an almost too eager tone. Maui opened his eyes to see the crab giving him another toothy grin as he rested against the ground behind the large shell and he himself cautiously approached it as he rested his hook over his shoulder again.

"So as you are already aware, you will lose your immortality and your enhanced strength when you get turned into a mortal." Tamatoa started. "Now this dosage will be just enough to turn you into a mortal but its only going to last for about three weeks at most."

" _But–_ " He smirked and stopped Maui before he could ask any questions "–in order for you to become _fully_ human and make the change permanent, you have to prove that you would be welcomed as one and have a place in the world of mortals. You have to find and make a good connection with a mortal who appreciates you for _who_ you are rather than _what_ you are. Basically being like a hero or a Chief would mean ziltch, so status alone isn't going to make the cut. Yeah, good luck with that one." The crab quietly scoffed that last one to himself before continuing.

"Anyway this one mortal must not only have to want you as part of their life, but they have to actually say something along those lines or show a gesture that proves just as much before the sun sets on the last day. And they actually have to mean it with all their heart." He added. "It can't be some sort of on the fly thing or out of infatuation. And again, they have to appreciate you for who you are and not what you are, so that's going to be important too."

"That's not going to be difficult." Maui couldn't help but smirk. "What, it couldn't be to get someone to kiss me or find someone to get married to? It's not that hard to get someone to like me, you know."

Maui immediately regretted saying this when he saw the look on Tamatoa's face. It was the look of someone who knew something that he didn't and it was not going to be pleasant for the listener. "Well, maybe it _would_ , but I didn't say it was going to be easy, mon ami." Tamatoa gave him another grin as he waved a claw in the air. "And this is where I'm interested in getting involved in this matter."

"What, you want something like this?" Maui smugly pulled the necklace off one of the binds that was attatched to the leaves that he wore and he held it up. The crab eyed the necklace hungrily but he shook his head with that grin still on his face.

"Oh no, payment in treasure isn't the problem but I'll gladly accept it as the entrance fee." Maui took that as the cue to just throw the necklace to the side since he no longer had any use for it.

"No, you have to give up three more things during this trial period because they also make up a part of what you are to the mortals. _First_ ," Tamatoa tapped a claw against the ground "You can't use your magical fish hook to transform, nor would you be able to use it if you tried _. Second_ ," He tapped the ground again "You have to give up almost all those tattoos that the gods gave to you."

"WHAT?!" Maui dropped his hook as his eyes widdened in shock at this requirement. He felt almost every inch of his body crawling and sqwirming as all the tattoos protested against this. He couldn't even dare bring himself to look down and see how offended or betrayed they would be at this news.

"Those precious tattoos make up a part of your current identity, Maui." Tamatoa merely shrugged. "Someone would immediately figure you out if those stayed on you. This will help you out with that, but I can't guarantee its going to be as comfortable as when you got them in the first place."

Maui was very concerned about that part. "You don't think the gods would take offense to that, do you?" He asked nervously. "I wouldn't _just_ be throwing their gifts away like an unsatisified kid who didn't get what he wanted."

"Well you didn't have much control over which ones you got, did you Maui?" Tamatoa countered. " _Including_ the one on your back that you always try to hide? The one of ' _dear ol' mum_ ' tossing you into the ocean?"

That struck a nerve in Maui; that was the one tattoo he would be willing to get rid of, but was he willing to go even further with this? What could be worse than losing the tattoos? "Ok, fair enough." Maui admitted with a nonchalant shrug as he tried to hide his discomfort. "Now what's the final thing I got to give up?" _And please don't say something like my hair_. He mentally added.

"Oh, nothing much, just one simple thing." Tamatoa waved his claw in the air as if this wasn't a big deal. "You have to give up your voice."

That made Maui hesitate. Did he hear Tamatoa correctly? "Wait a minute, what was that again?"

"You, give me, your voice."

"Ok, first off," Maui held his hands up in protest "That's going to make things way too difficult for me! How the heck can I make a connection with a mortal if I can't talk to them?! Second- why do you need my voice?! What, are you finally getting tired of listening to your own?!"

Tamatoa's eyes started twitching as he fought the urge to just kill Maui. "My voice is _far_ superior to many other voices in the world, _thank you very much_!" He hissed. "And I'll give it back if by some miracle you manage to succeed since I don't have a use for it!"

"Besides, it's not as beautiful as mine, of course." He added in a vain tone as he relaxed somewhat. "Plus I'm sure you won't need it too much. You got other ways to impress someone, right? Or have you been so dependant on all those things to make them your entire identity? Are you really Maui if you don't have your hook on you?"

Now caught up by the challenge and because he himself was not one to turn down said challenge, Maui pointed at the crab and snapped "I bet I could, crab cakes! I'll brefriend someone, get my voice back from you, prove you wrong, and I'll laugh about it for days when its all over!"

Tamatoa chuckled. "You're really that confident about this, Maui?" He turned around to look at his treasures before finding something and picked it up with his claw. "Ok, then I'll add something to counter your funny little bet. If you win, you get your voice back and maybe more depending on how things go. If _I_ win," Tamatoa held up what looked like a necklace made with abolone shell fragments, pearls, and a dark purple sea shell at the very end that had flecks of gold embedded onto its surface " _I get to take something of yours that you hold dear."_ He warned in that sinister tone of voice that he took on when the mood suited him and for one moment it sounded as if he sang those exact words. " _And I will be thinking about it the whole time you are up there doing who knows what_."

As Maui stood there in silence, Tamatoa noticed that the concotion in the shell was starting to smoke. "Oh, look at that!" His voice took on an abrupt cheerful tone as if he didn't sound like he was threatening Maui to begin with. "Looks like you'd better drink it before it goes sour!"

Maui shut his eyes as he felt his tattoos try one last time to plead to him to not do this. It was now or never and there would probably never be another chance to try this out again. Except he would need to win the challenge if Tamatoa was going to steal any part of him that could be a danger if used incorrectly. Could he be able to do this if he was robbed of most of his identity? His _voice_?

" _Go ahead, make your choice."_ Oh gods, was Tamatoa singing? He didn't care anymore.

 _Don't do this!_ He could almost hear the tattoos plead. _Who will protect the humans if you can't?_

" _I'm a pretty busy person and I haven't got all day!"_

His mind flashed back to that little girl who had been afraid of going blind but was still able to function with a smile despite the terror she had to go through. She was able to deal with the kakamora without her sight for a brief time and met him without knowing it before she got her sight back, so perhaps he could be the same as her.

" _If you want to cross a bridge my friend, you got to pay the toll!"_

Only without a voice.

He proceeded to go up to the shell (against the protests of the tattoos), knelt beside it, and quickly scooped up his hands into the liquid within. Even though it was burning his hands, Maui didn't stop as he quickly brought the liquid to his mouth and took a big drink of the foul tasting stuff. He continued to try to drink as much of the concoction as he could against the protests within and outside of his body until finally it was like something was thrashing inside his stomach.

Then it felt like something was trying to force it's way out of his innards by stabing him repeatedly from within.

He let out a strangled sound and he grabbed his mouth with one hand as he crawled away from the shell. Something was steadily rising up inside him and then began to attack his throat; he almost wanted to cry as he felt himself choking on whatever was inside his throat but he dared not until he finally let out a scream that died out before it could even come when he heaved and vomited up a small, pale green orb that shone like a pearl.

As Maui panted to try to catch his breath and try to clear his head while his stomach still felt like it was being attacked, the orb was carefully scooped up into the opened shell of the necklace in a delighted Tamatoa's grasp. "Huh, I guess that made you the oyster then." Tamatoa couldn't help but comment. "Got to love the symbolism going on here."

"Oh, and the transaction is _almost_ complete." Tamatoa hissed and his grin widdened as he carefully closed up the shell with one claw while the other carefully held onto the necklace so that nothing would break. After carefully putting the necklace on his shell, he grabbed the shell on the ground and procceded to splash the rest of it's contents over Maui before setting it back down.

Maui's panting became louder as he looked up at Tamatoa with pained eyes as parts of his flesh began to feel itchy from the neck down. He opened his mouth in an attempt to give the creature a few choice words before he felt as if he was begining to burn up as the heat inside him went up. Then the sensation got so intense that it felt as if he had been tossed into the heart of the fire that he once stole for the sake of men and it changed from his skin itching to outright burning in agony. It was so unbearable that he collapsed to the ground and couldn't help but writhe on the ground as he let out screams that never came out.

He felt himself already regretting the choice he had made. He had no clue what was happening to him right now, but he couldn't think straight. He even began to tear his own fingernails through his flesh in protest against the fire that wasn't there and yet felt as if it was there to begin with. Certain parts of his body were being spared from this unbearable illusion but even that wasn't a relief as he felt a weariness take over and drain him of his strength as well as his will power.

There were very few times where he wished he could just die and this was one of those times. He was almost convinced that he got his wish as his eyes gazed at the top of the lair and the hole where the water was right above them all and his world darkened to sweet oblivion. His last thought was a prayer to be tossed into the water and for this invisible fire to stop hurting him.

* * *

That... that was not a sight he wanted to see ever again. Yes, he could have a sadistic side now and then, but what he just saw happened to his former friend was not as enjoyable as he initially thought it would be.

Maui–the legendary hero in all of the southern seas– was laying face up in the sands of his home and was now trapped in the body of a mortal man. A body that was missing almost all the original tattoos except for some that had been altered to the point of being unrecognizeable. Some were on part of the left side of his chest and most of his left shoulder and upper arm. There were some noticeable tattoos on his legs that also appeared to have been changed as well, but not to the extent as the ones that were left on his upper body. The rest of the body, however, had quite a few nasty looking scars or patches of red, irratated flesh, as if he had been burnt on the places where some of the tattoos used to be.

No, it was more like most of those tattoos had been _burned_ away. It even looked like that was what had happened when Tamatoa was watching the change and it was not a pleasant sight to behold.

Perhaps that was the punishment that Maui worried about. In removing the tattoos given to him by the gods, they were replaced with scars that served as proof of what he had done. It was probably going to be another hinderance in his attempt to stay mortal since it didn't make him look that attractive to the eye.

Oh well, his loss.

"You poor unfortunate soul."

Tamatoa picked up Maui and he could feel just how mortal he really was. One strong squeeze would be all that he would need to just kill him, but there was no fun in that.

"You're going to regret what you did, old friend." Tamatoa smirked at the still asleep demi-god who was now currently a mortal. "You are lucky I don't want to kill you right now."

Before he knew it, he felt something come splashing down upon his face. He flinched back with a startled cry and let go of Maui before backing away as far as he could and shook his head. "What the–?!" He looked up in time to see a pillar of water come out of the hole in his home. It came down upon Maui and sucked him up right into it before taking him out of the cave and up into the ocean above. Tamatoa was transfixed by the sight until the water rose back up and completely vanished from the cave.

"What was–?" He tried to comprehend what just happened until he realized something he didn't consider. " _Oh_." He gulped as a feeling of dread came over him; the ocean was said to be alive, which meant that if it was not aware what had just transpired, then someone else had to have known about it. If one of the gods knew what happened, he was probably going to get in as much hot water as Maui would, if not worse.

"Then again, they can't really do anything about it since its already too late." He shook the concern off as he turned the abandoned fish hook. "I'm not trying to do anything that'll cause harm to the world and besides," He picked up the fish hook in one claw and he grabbed the purple shelled necklace that contained Maui's voice off his back with his other claw "I'd like to see if Maui thinks he can get away with pretending to be a mortal before something happens to him." His grin was so horrific that it would give one nightmares. "There's no telling what could happen." He added as he examined both objects.

And anyway, even if Maui didn't have to worry about the consequences of his actions or the enemies he had made as a demi-god, then who in all of the southern seas could even come close to tolerating him as he was now?

* * *

"You seem distracted."

"Huh?" Moana looked up from weaving the basket to look at her mother who was giving her a patient smile as she also worked on a basket alongside a few women and girls. "The pattern doesn't look that well bounded together." She pointed to the basket Moana was working on. Moana looked down and saw that at some point her weaving became quite uneven and there were a few holes that were too big to make the appearance of the basket look visually appealing or even passable as a proper basket.

"Oh," Moana sighed in disapointment as she stopped and examined the basket. "I suppose I did."

"Perhaps you need to clear your mind for a bit." Sina suggested. "It's possible to get too lost in thought during a task."

"Maybe I shouldn't." Moana frowned as she examined her mother's own basket. Sina started the basket at the beggining of the day and already everyone else was about to finish their own, while her's was about half way done. Sina also looked a little worn out for some strange reason, as if she did not get enough sleep the night before. "I don't want to abandon you when I'm not even done yet."

"It's fine, Moana." Sina shook her head. "You'll be very busy soon, so take a moment to enjoy some time off."

"You won't be able to finish before the sun reaches the highest point in the sky. Are you sure you don't–?"

"I appreciate your concern, but please go and have some time to yourself." Sina politely declined before looking up at the sky. "And please behave yourself!" She reminded the glowing orb up in the sky as she pointed a finger at it. "Didn't you learn your lesson the last time?!"

Moana laughed as she set her basket aside and walked away. Pua noticed that she was leaving and, believing that she was done, he followed her.

Moana hummed a song as she walked away from the village and checked her surroundings while Pua trotted beside her. She picked up a stick and pretended that the kakamora (she learned what sort of creatures they were from Grandma Tala) were about ready to tackle her but she swated them away as swiftly as she could. True, she still needed to work on her accuracy, but she was convinced that she was getting better.

When she had gotten so far away from the village that no one would have seen her, Mona realized something when she looked at her surroundings.

"I'm alone!" She grinned.

No one had known exactly where she had gone off to and now she could head towards the ocean. She quickly picked up Pua and hurried off towards one of the many shorelines, where she dared not make a sound until she knew that she was _completely_ alone. With a delighted laugh, she set Pua on the ground and began to sing as she ran ankle deep through the water to her heart's content when she got close enough. Fulfilling the urge to enjoy this forbidden delight felt more satisfying than anything she could imagine. She bent over to place her hands in the water and felt it surge between her fingers as she also ran through it. She was proud to be next in line as the Cheif of her people, and she adored her village and its people, but if Moana would be able to have the ocean in her life, then she was sure that her life could be completely content.

When she saw an abandoned fishing canoe that was not so far away, she let out a delighted gasp and hurried towards it. "Oh my gosh!" She knelt beside it and ran her hands across it's surface and enjoyed the slightly worn down texture of the wood against her fingertips. She pressed her nose against it and she could smell the salty sea infused within the wood.

"I am going to ride something like you one of these days!" Moana told the boat. It wasn't as marvelous as the other boat she had once found some time ago, but this one was still a good looking boat. "Or maybe I'll take you out today?" Moana grinned mischievously.

As she thought about this, Pua noticed that Heihei had somehow gotten this far away from the village as well. In fact, the rooster was pecking at something on top of a small cliff in the distance before walking forward and falling right off it with a loud cry.

He let out a snort; the bird creeped him out sometimes, but his stupidness balanced it out in a weird way. Still he had to make sure that Heihei didn't finally snap his neck in half so he headed on over as fast as he could while his human friend admired the boat.

Pua slowed his pace when he made it to the cliffside and walked around to find a spot of sand and stones and Heihei, who had miraculously survived. In fact he was already pecking at a head with dark hair that was so wild looking that would put many other heads to shame.

Wait a minute. A head of dark hair?

Pua looked again and realized that Heihei was pecking at the head of a man who was laying on his stomache in the sand. A large bodied man (bigger than any human Pua had ever seen) who looked unconcious but was clearly breathing.

He quickly shot off and let out a loud series of squeals to alert Moana.

Moana herself had managed to get the boat into the water, get on it, and just as she was about to grab the oar, she heard Pua squealing. She turned around to see him call to her and she could sense that something was wrong by the way he was frantically running around in circles.

Alarmed by this, Moana jumped off the boat and was almost knee deep in water, but she ignored how wet her skirt got from this as she ran towards Pua, who lead her towards the small cliffside. "Pua?! Pua what's wrong?!" She called.

Unknown to her, the ocean itself was carefully watching what she was doing. It had watched many people before the young child, including her own grandmother who loved to dance in it. It had been watching this girl for as long as she first swam in it and due to certain circumstances it had been watching her ever since. Watching her try so desperately to go back to it, talk to it, and forced to sacrifice her chances to go to it, whether it be for a family reason or out of compassion for others.

The ocean was able to do one thing for the girl this time, even though it would come at a serious risk for her and her people. No matter how much either of them changed over the years (quite drastically in one case), it was time for Moana to finally see the face of the one who had saved her life those many years ago.

* * *

 **I'm a jerk and so is Tamatoa.**

 **It's fun to be a sadistic jerk through characters like Tamatoa, isn't it? :D No seriously, its fun to write someone who can be really mean once in awhile. That's one of the things that makes writing enjoyable. I thought he could be just antagonistic instead of outright evil, but we will see how things go and if that can even be possible.**

 **I was nervous about the removal of the tattoos, since- well, you proably saw my note at the beginning, didn't you? Granted, I don't think all of them would come off or leave scars behind. What was left behind was drastically altered on purpose because I heard that you can't copy another's tattoo in the Polynesian culture for your own (and I admit I was a little inspired by Dwayne Johnson's tattoos, but its not going to be exactly like his for that same reason). I also did it because... well, if you look at the** _ **Art of Moana**_ **book and see how many tattoos are actually on Maui's legs, you also see how far they extend upward...**

 **Uh, yeah let's just leave it at that. I think I did Maui a big favor by not getting rid of** _ **those**_ **tattoos.**

" **But will this be permanent?" you ask in concern? Uh... I can't spoil anything right now.**

 **I gave Maui three weeks to be fair instead of three days. (Three days just to get someone to kiss you through true love, Disney? Yeah, THAT'S the kind of message you want to send to kids *sarcasm*.) And as you can tell, I made it so that it is possible to make it so that a platonic relationship can be used to make the spell permanent (IF it happens, of course) instead of 'Oh just kiss her/get him to marry you.'**

 **Oh... uh, about the Poor Unfortunate Soul bit not working out... I couldn't think up any decent lyrics beyond what I gave you and it was hard to come up with good rhymes for it. That's why I had to cut it short and-**

"YOU _WHAT_?!"

The writer looked up from her laptop to see one large and very angry (and very sparkly) crusteacean in front of her.

"Wh-?" The writer's jaw dropped. "What–?! WHAT?!" She threw her hands out at the crab. " _HOW_?! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!"

"I DEMAND YOU GO BACK AND FIX THAT!" Tamatoa yelled almost right in her face.

"DO I _LOOK_ LIKE I'M HOWARD ASHMAN OR LIN MANUEL MIRANDA TO YOU?!" The writer yelled back. "AND HOW IN THE HECK DID YOU BREAK THE FOURTH WALL?! I THOUGHT I LEFT THAT GAG BEHIND IN MY ZELDA FAN FICS!"

" _Watch it, sweetheart_." Tamatoa growled. "I've heard that some pretty nasty things had happened to you whenever you made cameos in your own stories. You _really_ want to tempt that?"

The writer went silent for a moment.

"Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me!" She pressed a button on her laptop. One of the pirate ships from the Peter Pan ride at Disney Land appeared and she quickly got on it (with laptop in hand). "LATERS!" She yelled as the ship sped off.

"GET BACK HERE!"

"NOT WHEN YOU'RE THREATENING TO KILL ME, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"

 **Anyway, see you next time! :)**


	4. To speak without a voice

**Nausicaa of the Spirits** : Luckily I survived the A/N this time. I got to admit I loved hearing what your reaction was to that part in the story and how it was built up. I would have reacted the same way if I myself was the reader, so let's see if your prediction comes true or not.

 **Tamatoa's response to Nausicaa of the Spirits: Looks like I'll have to get my revenge on another person who has wronged Tamatoa! *glares angrily at the writer***

...Did... did he follow me into the comment section?!

 **Subuku no Jess:** Thanks :) I love writing Tamatoa and Moana and its enjoyable when they react to things the way they would when they are in character (it helps with writing if you have a good grasp on a character's personalities). That story sounds pretty intense (though the idea of engraving tattoos onto bones would make an interesting character design). I _had_ to make Tamatoa say that line and I guarantee that he WILL use his singing voice later on and its going to be good when it happens. And thank you for that last note :)

 **Tamatoa's response to Subuku no Jess: At least** _ **someone**_ **wants to hear me sing! :D And I promise to never let my fans down, unlike a** _ **certain**_ **someone! *glares at the writer with murderous intent***

O_0 ... moving on.

 **multyfangirl18:** It was a book I found at Barnes and Noble in the mythology section titled _'Mermaids: The myths, legends, and lore'_ by Skye Alexander and I believe the myth was called Moana-Nui-Ka-Lehua. I am familiar with the original Little Mermaid and I'm taking some inspiration from that one too.

I'm sorry, I would be bummed too. I kind of like stories where the relationships can be open to interpretation or at least takes time (the pay off is really satisfying, especially if its an 'on the edge of your seat' thing). Something to keep in mind though was that in the movie Maui didn't recognize Moana as an adult (he thought she was way younger than her actual age at one point) which I'm going to reflect in this AU, but he also respected her and saw her as a friend by the end of the film after a certain amount of time and development. It's kind of the same with Zootopia where the relationship had to build up to trust and could be open to interpretation at the very end.

I personally would feel really awkward if I full on shipped them while Moana was still a teenager. If she was twenty or older like Elsa from _Frozen_ or at least a little closer to Maui's physical age, then I am ok with it.

 **jhalpernkitcat:** Yes he is! :D I swear I had a bit of an infatuation for him around the time the movie came out. I'm not exactly sure which female Disney villain is my favorite (Ursula and Yzma are enjoyable, but Lady Tremaine can rot somewhere for all I care).

Oh my God, I've seen both that film and the musical version, so I can see that comparison. If the circumstances were different, that giant singing crab would smack that person out of the cave and just continue on... wait a minute... he kind of did that, didn't he? *laughs*

I think your the first person to worry about Mini Maui, but we will see how things go. Remember that some tattoos were left behind, but were altered for Maui's mortal form. Yeah, that was awful and I had to make it worse by also turning it into something that can happen in real life (a bad tattoo removal job can lead to some bad scarring).

 **Tamatoa's response to jhalpernkitcat: NO ONE TELLS TAMATOA WHEN HE CAN OR CANNOT SING!** _ **NOBODY!**_ **ESPECIALLY NOT A DEMI-GOD! *Storms off in a huff***

 **Arxhaelogist:** Moana is sixteen like the sources say, but I don't think she was recognized as an adult (I think I heard that girls come of age in that culture when they get tattoos on their legs, and Moana didn't have those from what I recalled). Hmm, stay tuned and see what I do with this AU. I like doing my own twist on AUs and adaptions but I don't always stay completely faithful to them so who knows what I'll do this time around.

 **Child of Music and Dreams:** *Laughs* Well he is _supposed_ to be the equivalent to Ursula in this story and I couldn't resist. At least I didn't let him sing the whole song, just *shifts eyes* oh good, he already left the comment section. Don't remind him about that again because there's no telling when he'll try to go after me again.

 **Question: does 'platonic' still count if one person finds the other only a** _ **little**_ **attractive for one second? Like if one were to find a friend attractive, would that break the 'friendship' thing? You are going to see how I struggled with that in this chapter as well as how I resolved it. I don't know for sure if Moana would have ever found Maui to be attractive or not, but Maui did see her as a kid in the film (until he saw her as a true friend and master wayfinder at the very end), which is why I'm trying to keep this a friendship thing instead of a romance thing.**

 **Anyway, in order to try to make a certain part work, I had to look into eating traditions in the Polynesian culture and I used Samoan customs since Motonui is a fictional place in a real location. I tried looking into cooking Polynesian style as well but... yeah, I've already made it clear that I'm not an expert on that.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: To speak without a voice**

"Pua slow down!" Moana yelled at her friend who was able to dart through the sand as if it were nothing to him. The pig ignored her and she followed him around the cliffside where she found Heihei pecking at the head of the unconscious man that he had discovered.

Startled by this discovery, Moana let out a gasp and clutched a hand over her mouth. No wonder Pua was freaking out earlier!

She cautiously approached the man and carefully examined him over; he didn't look like any of the men from her island, nor could she recall seeing anyone like him. His body was larger than the average sized man, but there was a powerful build about it and he had quite a bit of muscle on him. It would have impressed her, had she not been concerned with the rest of his condition.

His back bore patches of deep red marks or a series of pale scar tissue that reminded Moana of the time when she saw similar scarring from a man who had been burnt when trying to put out a cooking fire that went out of control. The pattern of the scarring was very strange as if it was done in specific spots, but the worst of them was the one between his shoulders, where it had both flared up and twisted to the point that it almost didn't look like human skin anymore.

"What on earth happened to you?" Moana couldn't help but ask as she knelt beside the man while trying to shoo Heihei away from his head. The steady rise and fall of his body indicated that he was alive, which relieved her somewhat before she could look at the rest of him. His dark hair was wild, curly, (a small part of her almost wanted to run her fingers through it to know what it felt like) and it was long enough to cover up that one damaged part of his back. He wore an unusual green lavalava with a pattern that resembled leaves (was it possible to have a dye that vibrant? She struggled to remember if this was possible) and he had some tattoos on his legs.

The man suddenly rolled up to one side without a word, which almost made Moana scream when she flinched away. She waited to see if he would wake up, but he didn't seem to be ready to do so after a few moments passed.

She was a little concerned as to who ended up on the shores of her island and she looked at Pua, who also seemed a little uneasy about it, while Heihei just went back to pecking at a few rocks and could care less. She got up and walked around the man before getting a good look at his other side.

Even the front side of him had patches of irritated looking skin or scars, including the right side of his chest, his stomach, his right arm, and only a little of the left arm. She couldn't help but shudder at the sight before her eyes drifted to his left side.

He had a tattoo that was spared by this strange pattern that went from the left side of his chest, his shoulder, and part of his upper left arm. Interestingly enough, she saw details that seemed to represent the waves of the ocean around a carefully detailed circle on his chest, while his shoulder bore an image that appeared to be more water around a face giving her a very exaggerated grin with a mirrored counterpart merged right above it. The rest of his tattoo bore traditional patterns including triangles, stripes, and a pattern with a shape that looked a little similar to a fish hook, but it was hard to tell.

Her gaze went up and briefly glanced over the strange necklace of teeth from different animals (and she tried to ignore the fact that the scarring ended near the base of his neck) before she saw his face.

He definitely had unique features because they could either be soft and friendly or hard and intimidating depending on his personality, yet there seemed to be a combination of both. His face also happened to be one of the parts of his body that had been spared by whatever had happened to him and a part of Moana admitted that while he wasn't traditionally handsome like her father or some of the other village men, she thought that his uniqueness made him a little attractive.

Now this was a thought that quickly made Moana feel a bit awkward, especially considering the situation at hand. She wasn't exactly looking for a significant other at the moment (how could she when she was so busy and wasn't in a rush like some of her friends? Plus this man almost looked to be around her father's age, if not younger, for crying out loud!), but it was nice to see a new face when she had to see the same ones almost every day of her life. Especially one as fascinating as this peculiar man.

"He must be a very powerful warrior or a fisherman." Moana pondered as she examined his build, which could not have been natural nor gained so easily. "What do you think Pua?" She asked as she glanced at the pig.

Pua's eyes looked as if they were about to pop out as he stared in confusion at the man. "Pua?" Moana asked the pig again. Was Pua terrified of this human?

Pua let out a squeal and began to send out more frantic ones to Moana, who was only confused by his behavior. "Uh, Pua?" She raised an eyebrow. What was Pua trying to tell her? The pig grunted in frustration before his eyes lit up and he quickly used one of his feet to make a symbol in the sand. It was upside down, but Moana could recognize it as a sort of fish hook.

"So you think he could be a fisherman?" Moana asked.

Pua just stared at Moana with a dumb-founded gaze before letting out a loud squeal of frustration. He turned to where Heihei was banging his head against the cliffside wall and joined him in the exact same motion a couple of times.

What the heck got into Pua like this? Before Moana could ask her pig for clarification and to stop hitting his head before he ended up like Heihei, there was an audible sound of movement in the sand. Moana turned around in time to see the man gingerly try to get up before collapsing and grabbing his stomach with one hand while clutching his back with the other, where his fingernails dug into the ruined flesh. All relaxation in his body was replaced with a tension that indicated that he was in pain or extreme discomfort.

"Uh," Moana slowly moved around the man to see him wincing and barring his clenched teeth which almost made him look less human and more animal. "H–hey?" She gulped as she worried about what would happen next. "Are you alright?"

The man finally opened his eyes to reveal their brown color. His face immediately relaxed as he blinked and stared at Moana in confusion before shifting his head to see where on earth he was.

"I found you here like this." Moana continued to explain. "You don't look like any of the villagers from this island. Did you lose your boat?" Actually was the boat from earlier his? It might have been. "I think I found your boat over there." She pointed to where she had come from.

The man just gave her a confused look before he struggled to get back up again. Against her better judgement, Moana reached over to grab his right arm, but upon touching a spot where the flesh was red, the man recoiled from her hand and clutched at that spot with another pained wince. He slowly looked down and opened his eyes before letting go to examine the exact place Moana had grabbed him.

Moana watched as the man stared at his arm and the damaged flesh upon it in disbelief. Horror slowly dawned upon him as he looked himself over and tried to touch one of the scars before quickly drawing his hand back with another wince.

Then he began to throw his arms out and let out what should have been a series of yelling (and probably cursing out, but it was too hard to tell because of how fast his mouth moved) but no sounds escaped his throat. It took a moment before the man realized this and stared in shock as he clutched his throat. Apparently not only did he just learn about his injuries, but he also just learned that he had lost his voice.

Whatever happened to him was very recent and Moana felt a strong sympathy for this man. She understood all too well what it was like to lose a part of you that was important for living, even if it was only for a brief time. Moana was forced to wait as the man took a moment to come to terms with whatever happened to him before he let out what should have been a dejected sigh and let his hands drop into his lap.

"Did you get in an accident?" Moana asked, causing the man to flinch and turn to her as if he just remembered that she was there. "You act as if you–" She didn't want to finish the sentence but pointed to her throat.

The man nodded after a moment and mouthed something.

Moana continued as she realized that she had to take on her duties as a future Chief for this man and aid him. "You're clearly in pain. Where does it hurt?"

He pointed to the spots with the scars and the patches of red skin, but his eyes hesitated on the tattoo on his upper body.

"I can take you to the village." Moana smiled kindly at him and offered a hand towards him. "We have an expert on medicine and healing salves who can help you."

The man continued to stare at the tattoo and examined it with a strange hopefulness in his eyes as he looked at the left side of his chest but then dropped his arm as if there was something about the markings that didn't satisfy him. He then glanced to the tattoos that were on his legs and possibly extended up his thighs which were under the lavalava.

"And then afterwards, we can see how else we can help you until–AIEEEEEE?!" Moana shrieked, covered her eyes, and turned away as fast as she could, but try as she might, the image of the man _lifting_ the lavalava up to check on _gods knew what_ was now branded into her mind.

"WHY?!" Moana cried as she wanted to join Heihei in pounding her head against the cliffside while the man dropped the cloth with a sigh of deep relief.

* * *

Whenever he made an entrance, someone was either happy, terrified, or maybe just mildly annoyed. In this case it was the one in the middle mixed with curiosity, but it mainly applied to the villagers who watched him as he walked through their home as best as he could with the help of the kid who had an arm around him as she tried to support him during the trek (oh, that and the pig from the shore seemed to be following him). He could hear everything hush down as he went further and further in and he could see a few looks of alarm in the eyes of the villagers.

He could have walked fine on his own, but he felt a little nauseous and breathing seemed to make his body hurt whenever his insides expanded against the injured parts. There were parts of Maui's body that _still_ burned and itched and he hoped that this wasn't going to be like that during his temporary time as a mortal or Tamatoa would probably find himself missing another limb in the future.

Actually, this would be the kind of thing Tamatoa would have done and that made him scowl. Leaving behind scars in place of tattoos would be a good ( _not_ ) way to add insult to Maui's situation to make things even more harder than they should have been. Something worse than tearing a limb off would have to do.

He looked down at the kid who was trying her hardest not to look at him and tried to lead him to the healer. When he realized why she acted the way she did in the first place, he wanted to laugh. She not only looked like a kid (how old was she? Twelve?) but her purity towards such issues was also confirmed. Maybe she had an admirer or two somewhere on the island, but she didn't seem to be the type who was ready to be dating anytime soon if she had to act so squeamish about certain things (or maybe she was not into dating, but oh well that was her choice). The memory of what he did in front of her was clearly still in her mind despite how hard she tried to stay nonchalant during the whole trek. He could see the discomfort in her eyes.

If Maui could joke about it, he could. Instead he just waited to see what would happen as the village went silent and some were already whispering to each other about him. Any of these mortals could be the one to help him with his current situation and give him a chance to hopefully get back at the giant treasure wearing pain in his–

"Moana?!"

He watched as a woman hurried towards them with a concerned look for both the girl and himself. "Who is this?!" She demanded.

"I found this man on the shore." Moana (so that was her name) told the woman, who almost looked completely identical to the girl. "He can't speak. I think he lost his voice during whatever happened to him but he needs treatment for his injuries."

"Immediately by the looks of it." The woman frowned as she looked him over before glancing to a few men who were brave enough to follow her. "Go on and take him." She commanded them. "I'll come by in a few moments time."

Maui felt the girl left go of him and he was surrendered to two of the men who took over for her. The contact of their arms against his upper back almost made him want to yell out for murder because that was the one spot that hurt the most.

"You're father isn't back yet, but I will let him know when I see him." The woman told Moana as the men lead Maui away. "In the meantime, you should let your grandmother know, in case she knows a way to help us out."

"I will." Moana nodded before racing away to another location while her mother went to rejoin the others.

"We will try to do what we can." The woman promised Maui as she walked beside one of the village men who was helping him. "I can also arrange things with my husband so that you may come to our home for awhile and we can see what can be done for you."

As two parties went off in different directions, Pua just stood right where he was and frowned.

How could this have happened?! His human companion finally reunited with the demi-god who saved her and not only did she not pick up his clue, but the man couldn't even speak! At this point he doubted she would pick up on his real identity when she went to her grandmother's and would see the tapa that showed his image.

Then again, _was_ it Maui? Pua remembered how the man looked and though the face and build was the same, there was something off about his mana as if it had dulled down to the point that it was almost unrecognizable. Even the changes on his body made it hard to be completely sure that the two were the same. Tattoos were not so easily changed and yet the ones this man did have were not the same, nor were they _alive_ like the ones Maui possessed. Even if Moana made a comparison between this man and the depiction of Maui, she would not be fully convinced that they were the same at this rate.

The only final way to be sure was to see if that man somehow recognized him. Pua just needed a moment with him when he had the chance.

One of the men who worked in the cooking fale nearby hummed in thought. "I suspect that we will need to prepare a meal for Chief Tui's family and that strange looking man." He guessed before he turned to his young apprentice. "We better start gathering what we need. Probably more, judging by the size of him." He chuckled.

"Are you sure?" The apprentice asked while not exactly appreciating the joke made at the newcomer's expense.

"I'm guessing fish and maybe some chickens for the main course." The man decided before chuckling "Oh, and that includes the one who keeps trying to eat the rocks."

"But isn't that the one Moana tries to protect?"

"If you catch him, then we need to put him out of his misery."

* * *

"I have heard word that a man found on the shore is to be joining us for dinner." Tui glanced at his mother and his daughter. "Or at least that is what your mother has said to me." It had been some time since he learned about this from his wife, and the villagers did confirm that a strange man had been brought into the village some time ago. It was only right at this moment that he could confirm it with the rest of his family.

"Well its not everyday you met a man who quickly becomes the talk of the village upon entering it." Tala laughed as she played with her granddaughter's hair before setting a crown of brightly colored flowers upon Moana's head. "Especially one who cannot speak for himself." She grinned at her handiwork. "And our lovely hero who discovered him is getting to be the talk of the village as well."

Moana glanced down at the fresh set of clothes she wore before she felt the suspicious stare of her father. " _Moana_ found him?" he asked, but it was less out of surprise and more out of something else that indicated another lecture was about to happen soon.

"Technically Pua found him." Moana pointed out. "I only followed."

"And why were you near the shore?" Tui asked. "Were you not supposed to be helping your mother during that time?"

"I allowed her to go." Sina's voice cut in as they heard her and someone else enter the fale. "She looked like she needed to clear her head."

Moana didn't turn to look as her father approached his wife. "You looked as if you needed time away yourself." He gently touched her arms; Even now Sina still looked as if she could use some rest.

"I'm afraid your daughter's handiwork was not as good as mine was." Sina shrugged. "Like I said, she needed to clear her head." With a groan Moana turned her head to finally see that the man from before was standing a little ways away from her mother. The red marks against his skin had faded away and were slightly closer to his natural coloring. He had also been given a new lavalava that was a little closer in design to those that belonged to the village men, but he was missing the strange necklace which was safely in one of his hands. He also had an amused, devilish smirk at Sina's remark that annoyed the heck out of Moana.

Tui let go of his wife and turned to the man who quickly lost the smirk in place of a more neutral smile. "I hope you were treated well."

The man nodded in gratitude.

"I welcome you to the island of Motonui." Tui began. "I am Chief Tui and this is my family." He glanced back and gave his wife a loving smile. "You have already met my wife Sina. She informed me about–"

"If he is married or is seeing someone, I almost envy them." Tala whispered to Moana behind her hand with a teasing chuckle. Moana gapped at this and whatever implication there was behind those words. The idea of her grandmother fancying a younger man was enough to make her uncomfortable.

"My mother Tala," Tui's smile faltered a little when he sensed that his mother said something that he was sure he would not have liked to have heard. "She watches over the children and teaches them many things, including our myths and stories." He then gestured to Moana. "And then there is my successor, the future Chief of our people, and my only child, Moana." He smiled with pride, despite his annoyance at the fact that she disobeyed him again. "Of course you two have already met, or so I have heard."

The man who could not speak now had a very shocked look on his face as if he could not believe that the girl before him was the daughter of the Chief, let alone the next one in line. He seemed slightly impressed too, but Moana could not help but give him a smug smile in return, which made him drop the expression. Moana was not an expert at communicating without words, but there were some that she could exchange or read very well. It had been quite awhile since she had seen the kakamora but this man's face was so expressive that Moana was sure she would read exactly what he wanted to say within it. She was sure that it would help get a grasp on his personality, although she wasn't entirely sure that she liked it or not. So far he almost seemed like a grown man with the mind of a teenager.

"It will be some time before preparations are complete." Tui gestured to the woven mats that were on the floor. "In the meantime, I have some questions to ask. Just try to answer them as best as you can." He added.

* * *

Heihei once again pecked at some rocks before he found a hand grabbing him by the neck and he began to let out a series of protesting squawks.

"I am really sorry." The apprentice apologized as he tried to maintain his hold on the bird who tried to flap his wings and free himself. "Maybe the gods will make you into something that better suits your personality in the next life." He walked over to the man at the cooking fale who was already prepping some food.

"Go ahead and set him by the others." He told him.

The apprentice nodded and put Heihei in a specially designed basket so that he wouldn't get out. The rooster finally calmed down and observed his surroundings, which included a few chickens that were already plucked, wrapped up, and would soon be placed upon the fire.

Heihei blinked once at the sight.

Then he proceeded to peck at the bottom of the basket as if what he saw was not something to be concerned about.

* * *

"So are you from one of the nearby islands?"

Moana watched the interactions between her father and the strange man as she walked around to serve a particular drink to him before she could serve her family. All of them were seated upon the mats in the proper position, but their guest took up quite a bit of space next to her grandmother, who didn't seem to mind. The man shook his head at the question as he sat his necklace next to him before another question could be asked.

"Farther out?"

He hesitated and made a strange waving gesture with his hand before accepting the drink from Moana. He stared at it for a moment as if trying to figure out what it was before drinking it down with a brave face.

"There was a boat near where I found him." Moana did not want to admit this to her father but anything important had to help and she had to show that she could take responsibility. "Perhaps it was yours?" She asked as she served her grandmother.

The man looked puzzled at this question and shook his head no before taking another drink.

"You weren't caught in a fight or a storm, were you?" Sina asked. "Most of your injuries looked fairly recent. You were lucky that most of them have healed up so fast."

The man opened his mouth and said something before shaking his head, though he seemed annoyed by this and sent a strange, accusing look at one of the coconuts that was among the fruit laid out before them.

"There won't be much traveling out in the ocean anytime soon." Tala informed him after taking a sip of her drink. "We are trying to prepare for the arrival of a visiting Chief in three weeks time. You'll have to wait it out here if there was somewhere you needed to be."

The question made the man's eyes widen as if he remembered something and then was lost in thought for a moment.

"You could help us in the meantime." Tui suggested as Moana served him. "I know you didn't have anything to offer as part of the custom of having guests over for a meal, but I am letting it slide in this case. Any additional help around here is always welcomed."

* * *

"He's actually quite a looker despite the scarring and having no voice, isn't he?" a woman giggled to her friend as they walked by the cooking fale. "I wish I had been in young Moana's place."

"Yeah, I bet those muscles felt really good!" The other woman laughed back. "I wonder where you can get more of those kinds of men."

"It's time." The man carefully maneuvered the carefully wrapped up food over the fire.

"Alright." The apprentice picked up the carefully wrapped chicken and began to carefully set each one over the fire with his specially designed utensil. "Wait a minute." He hesitated. "We didn't even–" He turned to see that the basket was laying on its side and also empty. He turned around to see that Heihei had not only escaped but was walking across the fire as if it were regular earth terrain.

"You have got to be kidding me!" The apprentice used his utensil to pick Heihei up and tossed him away from the fire while his master watched on in amazement.

"Gods above, is Te Fiti planning on creating a master race of chickens?" He couldn't help but ask. "On second thought I'm afraid to know the answer to that question."

* * *

"This might sound odd," Moana began after setting back down. "But are you a warrior or some sort of fisherman? I mean I'm just taking a guess since you look like the type." She added quickly.

The man looked right at her with an incredibly dumbfounded look before his face scrunched up and he laughed. Or at least he would have if the sound came out, but apparently he found this question highly amusing. In between the laughs, he was clearly trying to say something but if she had paid closer attention she would have seen that he mouthed the words _'Kid, you have_ no _idea how right you are!'_

As Tala watched the man sitting right next to her in amusement, Tui patiently waited before he could have a chance to speak. "My daughter is expected to carry out most of my duties as part of her training and she has proven herself well in past endeavors. She is, however, very headstrong when it comes to certain cases."

"Dad?!" Moana was not happy to hear that he told this complete stranger that, nor did she like where this was going.

"You were expected to stay in the village." Tui reminded her. "You are not supposed to be on the shore without someone beside you."

"And what if the tide came up and he drowned?!" Moana demanded as she pointed a finger to the man who realized what kind of situation he was now trapped in.

"Uh, here." Sina nervously handed some bananas to him. "It still might be awhile." She apologized.

' _Please get me out of here_!' The uncomfortable expression on the man's face was all too clear to the observant eye, but not the next part he was thinking about. ' _If I have to solve their family matter in order to-'_

"I took immediate action!" Moana added as her voice raised in volume. "Isn't it important for a leader to immediately respond to a situation like that?! What if it was you or mom, or one of the children?!"

"You broke a rule and I have lost your trust, which is also important to consider as a leader to your people." Tui countered back. "You want to be honest and keep someone's trust by proving it."

* * *

"Get in there!" The apprentice finally slammed Heihei into a basket and set it on a plank of wood that was partly propped up by a medium sized rock underneath it. "That chicken is a curse!" He scowled as he went towards the knives and looked through them.

"Hey give it back!" A boy was trying to get a carving of a fish back from his brother who playfully kept it out of arms length. Slowly they got closer and closer to the cooking fale, the basket, and a couple of men who were trying to carry a rather large fish were getting closer towards them.

* * *

Now all the people seated besides Moana and Tui were uncomfortable with sitting through the argument and it could be shown on _all_ their faces. Sina looked at her hands in her lap with a frown, Tala pretended to observe the roof over their heads with her hands on her knees, and the guest right next to her had an arm propped up on a knee and he rested his head in his hand as he looked off to the side and tried to think of happier times.

"If you want to earn my trust back, you have to dedicate yourself to overseeing preparations." Tui gave the ultimatum. "And trust is something that is not so easily gained back, Moana."

"All this because I happened to be in the right place at the right time!" Moana cried out and threw her hands out. "What is next?! Are you going to keep me in here all day for saving Heihei from becoming our next meal?! Are you going to have someone follow me around for so much as looking at the ocean?!"

Tui then gave Moana a sly smile. He turned to the man (who still did not give them this name) and said to him "You are already welcomed to our island and until you are given the chance you leave, you may help us however you wish. However, the easiest way to help me out is to watch over my daughter during specific points of the day and make sure that she doesn't go off to the shore on her own ever again. And her pig doesn't count as a companion." He added before a counter attack could be made.

Both Moana and the guest did not expect this and neither were happy about it as well as being equally swift in voicing their protests.

"WHAT?!" Moana gapped in shock as her eyes almost popped out like Pua's did not that long ago.

' _WHAT?!_ ' The man mouthed in equal shock as his eyebrows raised so high that they could have merged with his hair.

* * *

"Ok, finally." The apprentice pulled out the knife he was seeking. "This'll put the chicken out of his misery."

"GIVE IT BACK!" The younger body tackled his brother, who knocked into one of the men carrying the fish. He cried out and threw his hands up in the air, causing the other man to suddenly let go and the rather heavy and rather large fish flew up a few feet into the air before landing right on the plank of the wood.

The plank of wood twisted up and knocked the basket upward. The bird inside flew out when the lid came off and he shot through the sky and right towards Chief Tui's fale.

* * *

"You can't be serious! I don't want a man following me around everywhere I go for three weeks!" Moana yelled.

' _I get she's your daughter and all, but seriously?! I need that time to other things besides babysitting and I'm not going to win over a mortal by watching a brat whose going to be ungrateful about it!'_ The man mouthed what he wanted to protest to the Chief at the exact same time, even if he couldn't actually say it.

"You gave me the idea so your punishment has been softened somewhat." Tui nonchalantly replied. "Besides, you of all the villagers know this island quite well so perhaps you can turn this into an opportunity to show him around."

Moana opened her mouth to say something but gave up and sat down while trying her hardest not to huff out. She stared down at her feet instead of looking at anyone in the eye, but she was unaware that the man she found was giving her a genuine look of concern, despite his own annoyances.

' _Trust me princess, I'd rather face three monsters at once than have to deal with this.'_ The man mouthed in some sympathy to the kid, even if she wouldn't have seen it.

There was an awkward silence amongst the small group. No one dared to try to look each other in the eye and they all just wished that the food would come soon.

Without warning, there was a strange shattering sound and something fell right towards the floor, along with some pieces of the roof, and crashed right into it. Everyone flinched at this and looked to see that part of the roof broke open to allow a small bit of daylight into the fale, along with a ball of feathers that didn't seem to move.

There was a pause as all held their breath and tried to get a better glimpse of what the thing was.

Heihei popped right back up as if he hadn't gone soaring through part of the village and into the fale like a shooting star, but he still let out a terrified cry from the whole ordeal. He tried to run out of the fale, but he was still very disoriented and ran into one of the pillars of wood. With a cry he fell backwards but he was able to quickly flap his wings and stop himself before he landed on his back. This time he ran the other way and headed straight through the opening in the fale that wasn't covered up by a tapa, but judging by the 'thwack' sound and the proceeding squawk, he hit something again in the process. Eventually the sound of him scurrying away vanished and all that was left behind was his stunned audience.

As Moana and her family still tried to process what just happened, it was the guest who reacted first. He bursted out in what would have been a loud, yet glorious fit of laughter that could have shook the foundation and he arched his back as he let it all out before recoiling back and rapidly pounded his fist against his leg. Moana noticed this and she could not help but join in with a less extreme fit of laughter, even if she was still concerned for poor Heihei. Tala chuckled and Sina smiled in relief that something finally ended the awkwardness of the previous moment, but Tui could only stare at the small hole in his roof in dismay.

"I _just_ had that fixed." He moaned.

* * *

The sun finally set and marked the passing of another day. The darkness of the coming night sky was beginning to swallow up the oranges and pinks that were left over from the sun and the sound of the waves could help guide someone to sleep if they slept close enough beside it.

It served as a reminder to Maui that he did not have as much time on his hands as he was used to. He tried to think of how long it took to get from Lalotai to Motonui and, if his calculations were correct, it could have been about three days. This was guaranteed if he did somehow get there by boat, though he wished he knew how exactly he went from losing consciousness in Lalotai to waking up on this island's shores with a girl right next to him.

Three weeks was about... twenty one days, right? So that meant he had eighteen days left, but now that this day passed, he had seventeen days left before he went back to being a demi-god. Three days wasted at sea and only one had been somewhat productive.

So far the only connections he made were with the Chief and his family, but that was still not a secure promise for anything. He already made himself well known in the village, but it wasn't entirely positive. Even the healer who treated him was taken aback by how much damage had been done to his body.

Speaking of which, the redness had finally vanished, but there was still some scars that replaced most of his tattoos and some of them still hurt a little whenever he touched them, including the one on his upper back.

Of course it had to be the one he hated that had to hurt the most, he reflected as he stared at his necklace in his hands. The necklace was another part of him that he would need to hide for a bit, just to be on the safe side. Maui was lucky no one recognized him yet, but he didn't want to tempt it. The fish hook would have been a give away, but that was missing and Maui had a bad feeling that Tamatoa was holding onto it in the event that he failed and would change back.

"May I have a word with you?" Maui turned to see Tui approach him. Normally he wouldn't feel intimidated by Chiefs, but he was kind of at his mercy now so he nodded for the man to continue on.

"I did not mean to sound so heartless earlier today." Tui apologized. "I am proud to know that my daughter took action and came to your aid. I do not know why you are here or where you came from, but so far her intentions were not misguided and you do not seem to wish any harm upon us."

"The truth of the matter is that I don't want her to be near the shore because I almost lost her to the sea when she was a child." Tui explained as his eyes flashed in pain at reliving those memories. "We couldn't find her for an entire day, we searched the island from top to bottom, and I was fearing that the sea had claimed her. Thankfully she finally came back unharmed, but I am afraid that it will happen again." He sighed. "I'm afraid the ocean and I have a terrible relationship with one another. I myself do not like to travel away from this island and put myself at the mercy of the ocean's grasp; I am content staying here with my people. My daughter, however, is drawn to the ocean and she would do anything to be near it ever since she could walk. I suppose that's what we got for naming her after it." He let out an embarrassed chuckle and Maui couldn't help but smile at this. "As you can tell, she is as stubborn as I can be in trying to go against my wishes."

"That is why I am asking you this favor to watch over her for the next three weeks." He turned back to Maui. "This event that is coming up is important and I also need her to learn her lesson at the same time. She still has much to learn before she can take my place, yet she is also my only child. And this also means that I need to be sure I can put my trust in you." He added as his eyes narrowed somewhat. "We live in a time of peace and I would rather keep it that way. I would not just be trusting my daughter's safety to you."

If only Tui knew that he managed to intimidate the greatest hero in all the southern seas. Maui was a little concerned, but he also managed to swallow his pride and nod with a grin.

"I mean it." Tui was able to sense the man's overconfidence. "I will let you stay here, but if you want to earn my trust then you cannot let her out of your sight, even when she is near the ocean. And whatever happens, if she gets in a boat and tries to escape, do not let her get away. Do you understand?"

 _Ok, ok, geez Your Majesty!_ Maui nodded as he was forced to think the thing he wanted to say.

Tui sighed in acceptance at the response. "You don't have to keep an eye out for her too much in the morning, but when she helps with the harvest, the weaving, or helps the children with their dancing, that's when you need to be alert." He warned and begin to walk off. "And if she tries to go into the forest, that's when you need to pay extra attention to her. She will try to trick you and get away if that happens."

Maui watched Tui leave before turning away to look at the sunset with a scoff– if only he knew who he was asking to babysit his daughter. Granted, it would help him get a good start in his own task and it was only a matter of which of the villagers would be the most likely one he could become friends with to the point that they'd want him around and saw him for who he was (though he was pretty sure Tamatoa's leftover 'gift' was going to turn some of them away).

He had a better chance of that with the Chief then with his daughter, no matter how much he sympathized with her. He knew that she needed to be able to have time to herself, yet the prideful side of him was confident that he could keep a close eye on her and the trickster side of him knew that he would have to be one step ahead of her the whole time. He had a good feeling that she could give him a few badly needed laughs.

Honestly, what could the little princess do that would be worse than make his currently reduced life harder than it already was?

* * *

 **And of course in a case of dramatic irony, neither of them realize who the other is which makes life harder for the both of them.**

 **See? I try to keep things platonic and it makes sense when Maui sees Moana as a child, but when it would come to Moana's side of things... I don't know maybe some admiration would be more appropriate? Argh, this is tricky.**

 **I think it took three days to get from Motonui to Lalotai, but I could be wrong. I had to recall how many times it was night time on that boat in order to be sure, but for the sake of things let's say that it was three days.**

 **Sadly I could not make the 'le Poisson' scene as funny as the original one, but it still served it's purpose (Or in this case, it would be 'le Poulet' for those who know their french). I wanted Heihei to shoot out of something similar to a pot until I realized that may not have been historically or culturally accurate. I was even going to do a major fourth wall joke with him getting sent shooting into the sky, but I didn't because it wouldn't have worked for the story.**

 **Despite how completely shattered it was originally, of course.**

 **I need to slow down on this because I got a winter class this January that's not going to be fun and I need to develop my ideas for the next chapter before I can continue on (and I know the ones I want to work on will come a little later, so we must be patient). I'm also getting more obsessed with this fic than I should be, but I'm still aiming for the next chapter to come sometime this month.**


	5. A struggle between two

**Me:** *waves as she holds a shrunken down plushie sized version of Tamatoa in her arms* *To the tune of the 'item get' music from Legend of Zelda, she sings the following* _I shrunk down Tamatoa!_ :D

 **Tamatoa: *To the writer* WHAT IS** _ **WRONG**_ **WITH YOU?! CHANGE ME BACK NOW YOU EVIL HUMAN NERD! THIS IS UNDIGNIFIED AND YOU KNOW IT!**

 **Me:** Because I have a feeling I know how you will react to some of the reviews. Also tumblr was way ahead of me on shrinking you down. Any who, onto those responses.

 **jhalpernkitcat:** *laughs at the reaction to the chain reaction* Maui's tattoos on his legs are really close to _that_ particular area if you've seen _'The Art of Moana'_ so of course he'd have a few reasons to check there. I was kind of the same with Heihei in the movie, but I'm not a vegetarian so I guess that Maui wanting to eat him didn't bother me too much. (Plus he almost got eaten himself, so that was a bit of karma). The funny thing is that if you've found the animation test video for Moana on YouTube (it's 2D animation style) Tala says that her husband came back as a handsome shark, which made your reaction even funnier to read for a couple of reasons. Maui isn't traditionally handsome, but I could see Moana finding him a little attractive (I think Disney guys like him and Ralph from _Wreck it Ralph_ are more visually attractive than most of the Disney princes, if I can be honest.)

 **multyfangirl18:** I got to be honest that we are getting to the point that I could end up giving away spoilers for this fan fic so I can't say any more on that subject. I'm glad I was able to give you a good laugh though.

 **Nausicaa of the Spirits:** *As I hold Tamatoa* We both owe you an apology. Tamatoa was angry at me and I guess it came out wrong when we wrote that response. Sorry about that. *holds him towards you* What do you say, Tamatoa? :)

 **Tamatoa's reply to Nausicaa of the Spirits: *angry but also embarrassed* The only person who has wronged you is the idiot holding me, but I promise I won't chase after you. If it makes you happy, I'll let you come to my place for a bit and you won't have to worry about me eating you.**

 **ChangelingRin:** Ah, it's one of my readers from my Zelda fan fics! *jumps up in down in excitement and accidentally shakes Tamatoa in her hands as a consequence* Hi there! I love that you recognized me during the A/N through my writing :) I love it when someone changes up an AU or an adaption of a story and I admit that it would be cool to see a version of the Little Mermaid that doesn't involve romance. (Wait a minute, does Ponyo count? They seemed way too young to be having a real romance in that film.) I'm glad you are enjoying this fic and reading your comment made me even more relieved towards myself for not making this a romance based fan fic.

 **Enigma:** Thanks! Uh wait a minute your name sounds familiar... are you one of the readers to my Zelda AUS? My memory tends to be bad sometimes.

 **Child of music and dreams:** *author struggles to hold onto Tamatoa as he tries to lash out and crawl out of her grasp*

 **Tamatoa's reply to Child of Music and Dreams: I WILL NEVER USE ANYONE ELSE'S VOICE BUT MY OWN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! YOU'D THINK I'D ALLOW THIS HUMAN TO STOOP THAT LOW?! *GLARES ANGRILY AT HOLYMAIDEN24***

 **Me:** *To Tamatoa*Hey calm down! This is why I had to shrink you down because I knew you'd say something like that! Now you owe another person an apology!

 **Tamatoa: *groans* Ok, ok, sorry, reader who goes by 'Child of Music and Dreams'! As funny as that idea would have been, I'd rather not use Maui's voice. The writer has other plans for this fic that doesn't involve making this a complete adaptation to the version of the Disney film. *Calms down***

 **Me:** Well, I know this chapter may not do anything you guys are waiting for but hopefully it will still be enjoyable. In case anyone is wondering, the dance Moana is practicing is meant to be the Taualuga. Remember her ceremonial costume with the cool headdress? I believe that was meant to be the sort of dress you wear for that dance and the _Art of Moana_ book says that it was inspired by that exact ceremony. The dance is a pretty big deal and I recommend checking into it.

Oh yeah, I was at the coast near the Pacific recently and seeing the ocean made me think of _Moana_ (listening to the music on my ipod was a nice touch too). I did see a crabbing boat on the ocean and though I did not see any David Bowie crabs, I did have a crab melt sandwich which is _soooooo_ good and I recommend it if you aren't a vegetarian.

 ***Tamatoa is understandably horrified at the last part. Tamatoa glances at writer's arm and grins evily*** Annnnnnd, I guess that's ***Tamatoa pinches writer's wrist as hard as he can to the point that he cuts through her flesh and nearly breaks said wrist*-**

SONOFA (CENSOREDDUETOTHISBEINGADISNEYFANFICANDKIDSAREPROBABLYREADINGTHIS DESPITETHETRATING)! *screams bloody murder and runs off while trying to throw Tamatoa off her arm. Then rolls around on ground with the crab still attached to arm* LET GO, LET GO, LET GO! DAVID BOWIE CRAB WON'T LET GO!

* * *

 **Chapter 5: A struggle between two**

And so began Moana's increased tasks of preparing for the arrival of the visiting Chief and his people in three weeks time. She stood in the community fale before a few of the villagers while her father watched her progress from the sidelines.

"So," Moana tried her best to calm down, smile, and not be nervous. "What is there to do so far?"

"We need to clean up the Royal Marae." One villager pointed out. "We also need to restore parts of it so that it can look good as new."

"We need to do repairs to this fale." Another villager glanced around the inside and looked up at the roof. "I can see a few tapas that could be replaced and the roof might need some patching up."

"Some of us also need some repairs done to our fales." Another person jumped in.

"Funny you say that," Moana wanted to laugh. "Our roof needs to be repaired."

"We could make some more tapas and baskets in case they would like to trade with us." One villager added. "They may have something that we might need."

"We can make a few more tools too." One of the fishermen suggested. "Maybe a few spears and nets as a start?"

"Ok, we might be pressed for time but maybe we can do that." Moana decided.

"We also need to make a proper enclosure for the animals, considering how often the animals escape." A woman added. "Including that brain dead bird that keeps showing up. He keeps getting into the grains and poking holes into some of my tools."

Ok, perhaps this was a little more than she expected.

"We will have to tidy up some of the areas around the crops too."

"What about the harvest?" A man added. "We don't want them to take too much of our food and we don't know if they will bring anything along with them."

"Well we are the hosts, are we not?" A woman countered.

"We don't even know what could come out of this! They might hate us for all we know!"

"Then why would they come here to begin with?! It's not like they'll take everything we own, including the food!"

"And suppose they want to take food with them on the way back?!"

Moana was starting to feel a little overwhelmed as this argument continued on. It took her a moment to try to think of how to solve this problem, but before she could say anything, her father quickly stepped in. "I can assure you that they have good intentions." Tui quickly cut them off. "I know that Chief Hoani will be arriving with his siblings, in addition to around ten of his people. If you include his guards, that would make it sixteen, thus bringing it to nineteen visitors total. If we plan this out carefully then there is no need to worry about a shortage of food."

The villagers remained silent for a moment before they nodded in agreement. "We could manage if we are careful." One of them tried to be optimistic.

Moana felt a little disappointed in herself– already her father had to step in for her and the day only just began.

She then sensed that someone was watching her and when she turned around, she saw that the man she had found yesterday was standing nearby with his arms crossed and was watching the scene with interest as if it wasn't an everyday thing for him. Now that he was instructed by her father to watch over her, he was now just a sight that caused her some discomfort instead of curiosity. Before he noticed her looking at him, she quickly turned her head away.

He wasn't really going to follow her father's orders, was he?

* * *

"So where exactly is he staying at?"

"Huh?" Moana turned away from the coconut tree and looked to Talia (a girl who was around her age). Both girls were helping to harvest the coconuts that were ready to come off the trees and Talia was currently holding onto an empty basket.

"The man you found." Talia explained. "Is he in your fale or did your father let him stay in one of the unoccupied ones nearby?"

Moana made a face at the idea of the man being in her fale (because, really, did she need to have him around her for that long?). "Yeah, I think there's one that father allowed him to live in for now. I can't really see him living with us and I don't think I want to."

"Why not?" Talia chuckled. "He seems rather interesting and I'd want to try to communicate with him if I were you."

"I don't want him following me around everywhere I go!" Moana protested as she threw her hands out. "Plus I saw things that I want to forget." She grimaced as she recalled what he did on the shore before she helped him get to the village.

Talia was about to ask what Moana meant before she smirked. "You know he's right behind you."

"What the–?!" Moana turned around and sure enough the man was a good few feet behind her. He looked as if he had been watching the other villagers go about their ways but the smirk on his face indicated that he had been listening to the conversation the entire time. It made Moana feel embarrassed but there was something about his smirk that she didn't like. Was it because it seemed like he was enjoying what he was listening to? It was like that one moment when he first met the rest of her family the day before when it found her struggle with the basket to be amusing.

"You're not actually going to follow my dad's orders, are you?" She asked him. The man turned his head towards her and didn't drop the smirk, nor did he make any response to the question.

"You could help us get the coconuts." Talia suggested to him. "Moana is good at catching them but she's good at climbing too." She held the basket towards Moana.

Instead of responding to the girls, the man took one look at their tree and ran towards it. Then what shocked Moana was that not only was he able to begin climbing up the tree in almost half the time it took most villagers, but he was able to do it in a way as if he had it it many times before without even taking a moment to pause. She wasn't the only one–others who weren't busy just stopped and stared at what this man was capable of doing. He finally reached the top, grabbed a coconut, and then allowed himself to slide back down the tree with one arm while the other held the coconut out before he dropped it down into the basket. He landed back on the ground with a flourish and smirked at both Moana and Talia who were rendered as speechless as the others.

"H–how the–?" Moana gapped and her jaw dropped so far down that it could have fallen off.

"That was awesome!" Talia grinned as the shock wore off for her. "You do that a lot, don't you?!"

The man's smirk turned into the hugest grin imaginable, but now there was something about it that Moana didn't especially like. It was prideful, but it also felt condescending as if he thought himself to be better than the others because of this. Why was it that each time she was given a glimpse into his personality she ended up liking him less and less?

"Well you look like you were built for this sort of thing." Moana couldn't help but retort. "Not all of us have the strength to do what you did."

"Aw, you're just jealous that he was so fast." Talia teased Moana. "It does take a lot of skill to get up into those trees."

Of course, neither of them realized that the man before them had done this sort of thing since even before their grandparents were born. Not only was he quite skilled at it, but he could have done this task in even less time than he just did if he had his full strength.

"Yeah, except he didn't check to see if there were any more up there." Moana pointed out. This made the man lose his smirk and he gave Moana a small glare as he mouthed something that Moana didn't pick up. If she had, she would have read the words _'I'm the reason you have coconuts to begin with, kid!'_

"I can prove it!" Moana declared as she turned towards the tree. "I know you missed some." She went over and proceeded to try to grab onto it like most of the others who had done this with ease.

"Uh, Moana, where's the rope?" Talia asked. When Moana turned to Talia, she added "You need the rope for your feet, remember?"

"He didn't use the rope!" Moana jabbed a thumb at the man who now seemed to find the whole thing amusing. "Wait," Moana realized what she said. "He... didn't... use a rope." She looked at the man again in amazement and that arrogant grin came back on his face. "He didn't use a rope?!"

"Maybe we should just collect the coconuts in the baskets." Talia laughed as she picked up a basket for Moana.

Moana was scowling as she and Pua took a walk later that day. She was also unaware that the source of her concern was silently following her from behind, though Pua did look back once in awhile.

" _He didn't use a rope!"_ She exclaimed. "How do you do that without worrying about getting hurt?!" Granted he wore out pretty quickly after doing the same thing a few more times and ended up falling asleep, but it was enough to impress everyone who were probably now talking about this with the others. She sighed as she glanced out to one of the shorelines as she thought back to what her father told the man.

"He really isn't going to keep me from the shores, is he?" She wondered out loud for what had to be the twentieth time that day. It was very tempting to give it a shot and she smiled as she recalled that he was probably still asleep under one of the trees.

With a grin, Moana made her way towards the sand that stood between her and the water. Just when she made two steps into the soft sand and felt it swallow up her feet, she felt something latch onto her head and she squeaked. She only had to look around to see the man carefully clutching the top of her head with one hand and he was giving her a smile that clearly said _'Nice try.'_

It took Moana a moment to process that his hand was large enough to completely cover the top of her head before she realized what was going on. "You... you're actually going to listen to my dad, aren't you?"

The man nodded.

"Well I'm not going anywhere near the shore with you around!" Moana couldn't help but snap as she threw her arms in the air and stormed off.

Hopefully he wouldn't follow her during her dance practice.

* * *

The next day, Moana tried to climb up the coconut tree with a rope though it took her more time than she needed and wearing a skirt was not helping matters.

"I know there was more up this tree!" Moana grunted as she strained herself to reach the top. "Just a little–!" She finally made it, only to discover that none of the coconuts left were large enough to pick off the tree.

"Oh you got to be kidding me." Moana hissed as she looked down to see the man look up at her with a very smug _'I told you so'_ sort of look before he went to the tree and shook it. Moana yelped and hung onto the tree for dear life. "Oh, this means war!" She angrily declared.

A little later on, Moana tried to run to the ocean with Pua beside her, but this time she not only tried to take the path that went to the fishing fale, but this time she made sure that the man wasn't following her.

Low and behold, the man was somehow already there and was sitting down near the fale while carefully making barbs upon some spears.

"What the–how?!" Moana gapped at the man who looked up and gave her a nonchalant shrug. In all honesty, he had picked up enough clues to figure out where she would go and took a quicker path to get to the fishing fale.

"Why aren't you out there with the others?" Moana pointed to the canoes that were getting further and further away from the island as the fishermen prepared to make their catch of the day. "Someone like you could get a huge fish to last us for days!"

The man hesitated in his task and gave Moana a blank look.

"You don't have to babysit me!" Moana added. "Just go out there and help us like you helped out with the coconuts! I'm pretty sure watching me isn't that fun."

The man made a grimace at those words and Moana didn't understand why. "You can help us fish, can you?"

The man shook his head no.

"Why not? Is it because you have to watch me?"

The man continued on with making the barbs. A thought struck Moana and she asked "You're actually not that great at fishing, aren't you? Its ok if you aren't."

The man flinched at this and scowled at her. She could tell right away that he would deny it if he could, but the hint of embarrassment in his eyes confirmed what she suspected.

"Sorry! Geez!" Moana held her hands up. "I guess I was wrong." She walked off.

Maui really wanted to let the girl have it as she walked away. _'I fish up islands, not actual fish!'_ He tried to yell at her, despite the fact that nothing came out of his mouth. _'Big difference!'_

He sighed and decided to get up and go after her (and bring the spear with him in case he could have a chance to work on it later) when he saw that her pig was staring up at him with a strange look.

' _What?!'_ He mouthed.

The pig used one of his feet to make a fish hook in the ground as his reply.

Maui threw his hands up in the air and walked away. There was no point in trying to explain this to another person or let them know that, yes, there was something he was notoriously known for not being good at.

Unhappy that no real progress had been made in his investigation, Pua snorted and kicked at the sand. Things were going to get worse at this rate and Moana would never be able to pick up on Pua's clues if her annoyance towards this man continued to grow. Still, Pua was determined to get his answers and fully confirm that this was indeed Maui.

* * *

Another day passed and a new one came.

Moana was nearing the end of her dancing lesson with the younger children and when she briefly glanced behind, she saw that the man was sitting cross legged on the ground and watching the moment. She had no clue why, but he seemed to be enjoying himself a little more lately. Maybe it was because he enjoyed the fact that people were amazed at what he did with the coconut climbing but she could still detect a smugness that was getting on her nerves.

He had quickly become a topic in her community as people tried to guess who he was or where he had come from. A lot of them were easily impressed, including the children, and when he wasn't watching her then he was offering help in any way he could (besides fishing, of course). Yet there were times where he seemed to try to interact with some of the villagers, but he couldn't get very far with limited communication skills. They appreciated his help, but ask questions about his personal life or for opinions, then he couldn't flat out answer them. In fact, he seemed somewhat reluctant to answer a lot of questions about himself, including what happened to him. Not even Moana or her family had learned anything since the first time he was at their home.

Unfortunately for this strange man, some of the people on Motonui were a little nervous about him. She overheard a few people wondering if perhaps he had escaped from a great battle and was going to bring it to this island. Others were put off by his appearance and wondered if he was punished by the gods because no one could have scars as peculiar or as oddly placed as his.

She turned her head back with a sigh. "Ok, you guys are doing good!" She encouraged the young children as they copied her. "Remember to move in time to the beat inside you and–" She stopped when she saw a young child who was not part of this group come dancing towards them.

No.

Oh no–not this kid–anyone but this kid! She knew what he was going to do the moment he came into the picture.

 _Please no, please no, please no._ She could already tell that the man behind her was watching this kid with extreme curiosity. Sure enough, the kid broke down into his own dance routine which seemed to be from another world of its own.

 _Don't do it, don't do it, don't to it!_ She pleaded, but it was too late. The child ended the dance with an over-exaggerated pout and a wink aimed at her that also made her extremely uncomfortable.

When the other children stopped and stared in confusion at what was behind Moana, she knew that it was too late. With a groan, she turned to see that the man was once again laughing his head off, despite the fact that not a sound came out of him, but this time it was enough to make him fall on his back and it looked like he was about to pass out from laughing too hard. This in turn made some of the children laugh and Moana was too embarrassed to get them to stop.

She turned around to the cause of this and the little boy just gave her an innocent smile and skipped away. Then she realized something that only made things worse–the kid almost looked like a miniature version of her 'protector.' It was enough to add salt to the wound that she currently had.

"Why do the gods torment me so much?" Moana groaned as she held her face in her hands.

Another torment came later when she was asked to solve a certain matter and it involved the roof of a fale.

Both Moana and her 'companion' could only stare dumbfounded as a bunch of chickens were resting on top of the fale, including Heihei who rolled back and forth upon it in an attempt to scratch his back.

"See?!" The owner jabbed a thumb at a couple of boys who snickered at the sight. "These little ingrates thought it would be funny to do this to me."

"It was worth it!" One boy chuckled to the other as they each gave the other a high five.

"How exactly did–?" Moana shook her head. "Well, I suppose you can have them get some help with their parents and get them down as safely as possible."

"And they have to clean the other side." The owner demanded. "I don't have time to change any part of the roof."

"What do you– _oh_." Moana grimaced in disgust and slapped a hand over her face as she realized what the owner meant. "Just–y–yeah, they can do that too." She hurried away from the house as fast as she could and made sure not to walk around it and accidentally look up.

"It's just feathers!" One of the boys giggled.

Later in the day, she once again tried to run for the ocean but at the very moment she was about to touch the sand, a now familiar pair of hands grabbed her and she was hoisted over the man's shoulder.

"Come on!" Moana tried to wiggle free, but the man wouldn't budge nor let her go. She was getting so fed up with this man that her stubbornness was getting in her way and a certain idea came into her head. She knew that the part of the man's back that was hiding under his hair was the most sensitive part of his body, if the way he always winced when he tried to touch it was any indication. Despite how much her compassionate side protested, she raised her hand as high as possible before smacking it down on that part of his back as hard as possible and the man quickly let go of her.

Moana didn't see the agony in his face or the scream he tried to let out as she fell to the ground, but she had no idea how fast he would immediately retaliate. She barely got a running start as she tried to get away from him, but he caught up to her within seconds, grabbed her by the arm, and forced her to spin around to face him with enough force to almost pull her arm off.

She found herself face to face with the man as he kept his hold on her. He was barring his teeth in pain, but his brows were scrunched up and the look in his eyes was so enraged it was as if he could bring a tempest upon her head within seconds. She felt that he really was going to lash out at her for what she had done and it terrified her.

What Moana didn't expect was that he would tie her foot up with a rope that was tied to a tree in the village like she was an animal. This time he kept his eyes on her and the fury within didn't leave him for one second, which was enough to cause Moana to not directly look at him. Maybe she did go too far that time in getting back at him, but she couldn't bring herself to apologize so instead she turned to a little scene that was occurring near the tree.

"You see these?" A fisherman nearby was showing off different types of coral to his children. "These are one reason why the ocean can be dangerous. As beautiful as coral can be, it can also be very deadly." He lifted up one piece of coral that was grey but had very delicate and thin edges. "This one could cut through your skin and you wouldn't even be aware of it until you saw the blood. Some even have barbs on them."

"Really?" The youngest child asked as he made to reach out for it.

"Yes and if you fall off the boat, pray to the gods that the waves will not push you into the coral." The fisherman warned the children. "There is no telling what will happen if you do."

Elsewhere, Tui saw what exact state his daughter in as well as the odd rage the man was directing towards her. It was strange, but it wasn't enough to make him too concerned.

"I'm not even going to ask what happened." He shook his head and walked away.

Later that night, it began to rain and it perfectly reflected the mood of both Moana and Maui. Both found themselves sitting at the threshold of the Chief's fale and both of them were trying to not look each other in the eye as they were angry at each other for their own personal reasons.

Moana held onto Pua as she tried to think of how much the man next to her had treated her as both a child and as an animal in one day. Worse yet, it earned a lot of chuckles from the other villagers which was a massive blow on her own ego.

 _He's so infuriating!_ Moana mentally growled. _Arrogant, doesn't treat me like a person,_ _always one step ahead of me–_

Meanwhile, Maui was looking off into the distance as Heihei was pecking at the wood right next to him instead of trying to eat the grains he had offered to him. He was angry that the little brat tried to escape by hurting him and taking full advantage of the fact that his upper back was still currently the most sensitive part of his body. He thought that she would be a bit more respectful to him after all he'd gone through and he thought she would try to be nicer than that, but apparently he was mistaken. She knew he was helping her and her people out, but that apparently wasn't enough for her.

 _Its humans like you that made it harder to have any respect to your kind._ Maui also mentally growled. _Is this the thanks that I get for trying to help you out, you brat? You could at least–_

Sina sighed at the sight as she struggled to work on a new tapa, despite how nauseous she had been feeling lately. "This could have been avoided if you hadn't made him follow after her." She harshly whispered to Tui. "You had to ruin what could have been a more pleasant friendship than this storm we have to witness."

"Well what else could I have done?" Tui whispered back. "I'm sure this will get fixed sooner, if not later."

Sina opened her mouth to say a few choice words when she felt her stomach lurch. She quickly covered her hand over her mouth and scrambled to get to her feet before running past both her daughter and the strange guest and off to the side of the fale.

Neither Moana or Maui acknowledged the sound of Sina vomiting somewhere near the side of the house.

* * *

The next day, Moana struggled with making a new basket alongside Talia and her friends. She tried her hardest not to look at the man as he sat some ways away by a tree and was working on making barbs on another spearhead while Pua was trying to paw at the ground to get his attention. In truth, Pua was trying once again to draw a fish hook, but the man had no idea why the pig was doing it and he didn't care.

"So," Talia asked Moana. "Is it true you were tied to a tree?"

Moana ignored Talia.

"No, no, NO!" Someone screamed in the distance.

Maui turned his head to see that one of the villagers was chasing after a group of pigs that were charging towards them as fast as they could and they didn't seem to be aware of this.

Moana picked up what was happening without glancing back and sighed as she set her basket to the side while Talia and the others ran away with their things. She just wanted her luck to change back again and get these three weeks over with.

A little later on, Moana sat in Tala's tapa and her spirits were getting low to the point that she was not even joining in the storytelling. Trying to help stop the pigs was not a fun experience for her and although Tala's words of heroism and monsters to the children were soothing, but it wasn't enough to calm Moana down and she couldn't help but stare at the tapa of Maui.

"I could really use some of your cunning right now." Moana couldn't help but whisper to the depiction of Maui. Although the demi-god's grin was getting a little too familiar looking to her liking, she still wished there was a way she could be level headed and try to manage the tasks that kept piling up while trying to get away from her 'guard.' She glanced back to see that the man had been staring intently at the tapa of Maui as well, but when she saw him looking at her, he turned his head to look at something else. Had she looked a little closer, she would have seen Pua staring at this observation, but her mind was too preoccupied.

Pua's annoyance over the fact that Moana was not picking up the parallels between the image on the tapa and the man in the room was steadily increasing. Perhaps if she was a little more clear–headed, it would have been more obvious.

Moana sighed as she looked at the tapas for something to distract her, but her eyes hesitated on the one that showed an eel. It was the same eel that her father used when joking with her mother since she shared the same name as the Sina from the tale about that eel.

What if–? She turned to the tapa of Maui and made sure that the man couldn't see her smiling at it. "I owe you for this." She quietly whispered to the tapa. Maybe Maui could truly be on her side for this one.

"I got an idea for a game!" Moana clapped her hands as she stood up. Tala hesitated in her storytelling and watched as Moana turned to the children who were eager to hear this. She saw that the man was looking at the other tapas and wasn't paying attention, which made things even better for her. "One of us gets to be the eel from the story of Sina and the Eel–"

"You can't be Sina just because she and your mother share the same name." A girl declared, causing the other children to giggle.

"Ok, you can be Sina then." Moana shrugged. "One person gets to be the eel and the others get to be the villagers who go after him." She looked up and pretended to point to them. "Eenie, meenie, miney–" She saw the man scowling at Tamatoa's tapa and pointed "– _him!_ "

The children shrieked in delight and all of them ran towards the man, who finally turned around in confusion. Moana took her chance and right when the children threw themselves onto the man, she quickly ran to the tapa of Maui, pushed him aside, and ran out of the fale towards the forest. There was no way the man could find her if she was quick enough.

Meanwhile, Maui was forced to deal with a terror as great as any high ranking monster he had encountered in the form of a bunch of easily excited children. Although he adored the love and appreciation that children gave to him out of all the mortals he had encountered, this was too much for him to handle as they all piled up on him.

Tala just laughed as Maui tried desperately to pull the kids off of him and was clearly in a panic over it. "I'm pretty sure she went towards the forest!" She yelled as loudly as she could over the shrieking of the children.

With what little strength he currently possessed, Maui fought off the village children, even as they determinedly tried to latch back onto him. It was only when he finally reached the other side of the fale that Tala declared "Ok children, I believe the eel needs to take a break." and they all finally let go of him. He would owe that woman a huge thank you when he got the chance while her granddaughter was going to get something a lot more different.

Maui finally broke through the tapa walls just in time to see Moana vanish into the woods. _'Oh you have got to be kidding me!'_ He mouthed before running after her as fast as he could.

Moana raced through the trees as fast as she could and took every shortcut she knew to a spot where there she could see the ocean. There was no way the man could find her there and she was positive that it would take him ages to do so, considering how large the woods were. She let out a laugh as she darted this way and that way and leapt over rocks and logs. If she ever saw the real Maui at any point in her life, she would let him know about this little moment since she owed him a good laugh as well as a thank you.

Finally she came to a spot overlooking the ocean that wasn't too far away from civilization, but it was far out enough where she could be alone. All that separated her from the water was a wall of rocks that could send her safely into the deep water below if she so wished since they were that far out.

Moana laughed as she had to sit down since her feet were killing her and her throat was on fire, not to mention how furiously her heart pounded. "Ah, that was good!" She let out a breathless giggle as she allowed her feet to dangle over the rocks. "Hopefully they didn't overwhelm him!" She could only imagine the look on his face when he had realized what she had done and it lifted her moods considerably.

"Though," She frowned "maybe I've been taking this too far. I suppose I did hurt him too much yesterday and I only made things worse with that trick of mine." A part of her hoped that he didn't get hurt through what she did to him.

"He's pretty determined though, I'll give him that." She admitted. "In addition to being a kid in a man's body at times." She laughed at this as she looked at the ocean. It was so nice to just finally be alone without having someone after her and she could just clear her head after all she had to do today.

She closed her eyes and imagined herself swimming in the ocean's depths alongside the creatures within it. She could see the fish, but also turtles and maybe a few sharks–perhaps one of them could be her grandfather, like her grandmother told her once before. She could almost see the strange, voiceless man as a shark within her daydream, though she was unaware that a certain someone had finally caught up with her and was watching her from behind.

Maui had to admit that this girl was pretty clever, but not enough to surpass him in terms of cunning. He pulled up this island once before, had been here a few times in the past, and knew exactly where the shorelines would be. It also helped that he was able to track her down by the footprints she unknowingly left behind in the ground and the fact that he heard her voice a few moments ago, which lead him right to her.

Sure, that was a pretty good trick she pulled on him, but she was about to learn what would happen if she tried to surpass a demi-god (well temporary non-demi-god at the moment, but it was still the same thing) without proper foresight. He quietly walked behind her as she continued to talk to herself and peered over her head to see how deep the water was.

"I guess he can be scary, but not as scary as I thought he would be." Moana continued on in oblivion. "I still wish I knew where he came from."

Ok then, Maui decided–if this kid wanted the ocean so badly, then she could have it.

Moana suddenly felt a pair of large hands shoot under her arms and grabbed her sides. The moment she let out a squeak, Maui hoisted her up into the air and then tossed her out over the rocks as far as he could.

Moana let out a cry and Maui watched in sadistic glee as she went soaring through the air and flapped and kicked all four limbs outward before dropping right into the ocean with a tremendous and very satisfying sounding splash.

He knelt down on the rock and watched as the teenager struggled to get back to the surface and when she broke through, she looked around in confusion before looking up to see him giving her the biggest grin he could manage.

' _You can try to do all you can and try to run all around Motonui, but you'll never be able to outsmart Maui!'_ He boasted to her, even if she couldn't make out what he tried to say. Moana could make out only the key fact that he had bested her in the trickery department and was immensely proud of himself because of this and she could only let out a frustrated cry.

"You are enjoying this, aren't you!" She yelled up at him.

Maui's grin only widened. This little moment of great satisfaction made all of his current suffering worth it. He could do this again if he wanted to, provided that she wouldn't see it coming when the moment came.

Moana only sighed as she tried to find a spot where she could get out of the water and back on dry land. She had to be careful what she wished for from now on.

* * *

There was now twelve days left until the arrival of the Chief. Although some progress had been made towards the preparations, there was still much to do and Moana still had to perfect her dance for that event. Tala aided her grand daughter in the dance as one girl sang and a boy clapped his hands in time to the music to help Moana out.

"Gently." Tala gestured for Moana as she moved her feet. "Remember that this dance is not supposed to be fast. Pretend that you are the water gently rocking back and forth if that helps. Feel the power of this dance and let it guide you. Trust in it." She smiled as Moana tried to slow herself down.

Moana tried her best with this dance, but after having to help clean up the Royal Marae and walking back and forth so often today, she was feeling exhausted. Her mind was also racing with too many thoughts and she couldn't get herself to calm down. All the work was beginning to pick up and it seemed to never end.

"Remember that your smile must be genuine." Tala reminded Moana. "Try to think of positive thoughts for this lesson. Recall our heritage and be proud of it. Our ancestors are on your side."

Moana was struggling to find a reason to smile. Not even the sounds of the singing could help her out and when she saw the man staring at her in front of the community fale, she could only think of what he had done the previous day when he tossed her into the ocean.

He certainly had a way of granting her wish while also obeying her father at the same time.

She wasn't the only one to not feel entirely happy. Maui was not thrilled that he barely made any progress with any of the villagers, despite how long he had been here for. Sure he had earned their admiration and some respect, but he had not made a genuine connection to any one to the point that they truly got to know him. Not even with any of the children when some of them had already taken a quick liking to him. The fact that everyone seemed to be busy didn't help matters and when he saw some of the village females give him flirtatious looks, he could only hear the warning 'infatuation does not count' and he had to continue on. Also he liked the women's' admirations, but he didn't feel a draw towards any of them in particular.

And yes, not being able to talk was really annoying and not helping matters. He missed boasting about what he could do, simple conversations with others, being able to sing and even the sound of his own voice.

Then there was the Chief and his family. He liked the old woman and her way of not caring what everyone else thought about her, he had to listen to Tui now and then, but Sina tended to be too ill to stay around to chat sometimes and he had a strong feeling that he would need to stay away from her.

Then there was the daughter and the biggest reason why he had little time to try to beat the time limit. He admired her stubbornness, but it was really annoying at times and she still didn't really want to try to actually like the things he did for her and her people. Also her little trick did strike a nerve with him since he was not used to others outsmarting him. Yes, he remedied that, but the fact that she did catch him off guard was something he was not used to.

He understood both sides of the quandary between father and daughter to a certain extent. The father was concerned about his daughter (maybe too much) and the kid was still learning things. He knew little of parental love (thanks to lack of experiencing it himself) but he knew it when he saw it and would do anything to make sure a child knew how lucky they were to have that genuine sort of love (whether said parent was related by blood or not). Yet he understood the need of a young person to have time to herself and be near places she liked. He just wished that he hadn't been thrown into this family conflict since it was a part of the mortal life that didn't really appeal to him.

"Not good enough."

He snapped his head up to see that Tui had watched part of the practice and had approached Moana while the singer and the boy ceased their part in the practice. "You need more work on this. There needs to be more grace in your movements."

"I'm trying!" Moana protested. "If you could allow me to have some time to practice more and have someone to help me out more than once a day then I could get it down in time!"

"We can't afford that at this point." Tui countered. "Your grandmother cannot help you every day and you will be needed to tend to the other issues at hand. And perhaps if you stopped running off and practiced on your own, then this would be less of an issue."

Too stressed to even care anymore, Moana finally snapped. "I need time to compose myself too! I can't do everything at once or do one thing after the other without a break!"

"And yet here I stand without having my past stress take over my well being." Tui crossed his arms. "You won't always afford the luxury of a break."

"You're just saying that because I keep running off to the ocean!"

"Perhaps you should give her a break." Tala cut in as she sensed where this was going. "The last thing we need is for her to be too stressed out to perform the dance when it is time."

"You have to grow up, Moana." Tui continued. "Childhood won't last forever."

"I'm not a child anymore! Why do you keep treating me like one even when you give me so much to do?!"

"Well you should stop acting like one. I've heard that you have done some things that I would expect from the village children and not the future Chief of–"

"STOP!" Tala yelled as she couldn't handle another argument between these two at this moment. "You two both need some time away if this is going to end in disaster. I think Moana will get the dance down in time so I say that she may be able to go off on her own for a bit."

"He won't let me." Moana frowned. "Because he has to trust another to watch over me and make sure I don't do something that he doesn't want me to." She then hurried off with Pua dashing after her.

Tui sighed as he held his face in his hands. "She has to quit this behavior before its too late. It will give her trouble in the future."

"She's not the only one." Tala almost sang as she grabbed her cane and hoisted herself back on her feet. "Sometimes our greatest virtue is also our greatest fault if we aren't careful enough."

Maui took this as his cue to go ahead and leave since there was nothing more to be done and he figured Tui would try to tell him to go after his kid if he saw him slacking off.

He ran a hand through his hair as he walked away from the community fale and tried to think some things over. When was the longest time he ever resided amongst humans? Here it felt like an eternity when it should have normally been in an instant for him. He moved his hand away to look at it and realized that time had slowed down for him, but not in the way he was used to and in other ways it was speeding up on him. His body had only briefly returned to its original mortal state and yet he was sure that it was aging on him since everything felt so different. He was now only too aware that he was physically somewhere near Tui's age; didn't he himself look younger the last time he had seen his own reflection? Was it possible that he could still age as a demi-god?

He didn't like that this body got exhausted quicker than it used to, even if it was still in better shape than an average human's. Even picking Moana up that one time did not have the same ease as it should have been and took more effort than he was used to for something of her size. How soon did such thoughts like these occur to a human? It felt too soon for him in his opinion as either a mortal or a demi-god.

This all had to be because he was currently stuck as a mortal. There was no way he would think such thoughts if he still had his powers.

He glanced up to see that Moana was heading somewhere, only it did not appear to be anywhere near the shorelines that she so desired. She didn't even bother to turn around to see if he was following her, but perhaps she was too caught up in her frustrations to realize this. Though when he listened closely it sounded like she was humming a song that he never heard before.

He had some options; one was to turn back and let her go and another was to steal a boat and leave this island for another location. The final one was to just follow her and see what would actually happen when she was free to be herself and was far away from the others as possible.

He chose to follow her and see what would happen this time; he wouldn't try to pull her aside if she made it to the shoreline. Maybe there was a way to salvage what was left and try to earn her friendship so that he could get some of his things back. If not, then he would have to be ready to put up a fight for whatever would be taken from him.

Oddly enough, Moana really did choose not to go anywhere near the shore, but instead she took a certain route that went beyond the outskirts of her village while she still hummed that same song. Carefully he followed her and made sure that he was out of sight, but he did not see that her pig kept giving him a glance now and then.

Finally Moana came to a cliffside with a wall of green leaves crawling down it. She let out a deep sigh of relief before pushing the greenery aside to reveal a wall of rocks with a certain hole of a gap on one side. Moana then stepped through what was apparently a secret passage behind the leaves, with Pua following close behind.

Not one to resist an opportunity to explore a secret (especially one close by that he had missed) Maui followed her trail and went to the entrance of the secret passage.

It was time to see what the little princess was hiding from the rest of the world.

* * *

 **I swear that I wasn't trying to make Maui go through a weird mid-life crisis. Also, no really–that kid really did look a lot like a young Maui. Did anyone who also noticed that find it really weird?**

 ***Applies bandages to wrist* Tamatoa managed to snap my hand off, but I survived. *waves hand cheerfully***

 **So, yeah, no carriage ride or dancing to please the other for these two. I kind of figured that they would be at each others necks because of the circumstances and because of their own personalities, which made it a lot more enjoyable. Still I'm glad I can finally start getting to the chapters I really want to write out after doing this one.**

 **Interestingly enough, while it seems to be a common fact that Maui was terrible at fishing for actual fish, one version of his story of him pulling up an island said that he was pretty good at making tools, which is why he was making that spearhead in the first place in this story. And yes, I have seen that clip for the short 'Going Fishing' for the blu-ray when it will come out. I was hoping that it would take place after the movie because the island looked like Motonui, but its not and its pretty much confirmed if you see that Maui is missing a certain tattoo on his body.**

 **Oh, and one more thing:**

 **I am one of those writers who likes doing illustrations for their stories and this fan fic was no exception. Check out my deviantart account or my tumblr account (I go by tornrose24 on both sites) so see some drawings for the first four chapters of this fan fic. I'm not going to do this with all of them, but I couldn't resist.**

 **Also, *sighs* yes, if you look at the accounts, you will see that I have my own humanized version of Tamatoa but he has recently had more added to his design in my sketchbook and those drawings will show up when I get the chance to ink them digitally. I can confirm that Tamatoa WILL show up in human form in this fic but I am planning on keeping his description to a minimum since there are so many awesome versions of him as a human out there and I want to give my readers the choice to imagine their favorite version of him. There are so many versions on tumblr alone and I recommend checking those artists out. I'll discuss this subject a bit more when we get to the right moment in the story.**

 **Now if you excuse me *takes out laptop and glares at Tamatoa who is still plushie sized* I'm going to show Tamatoa the 'le Poisson' song to remind him why he should be glad he's not Sebastian.**


	6. Compromise

**EDIT: so I got a lyric messed up and had to** **correct it, as pointed out by Shiori Kudo.**

 **Fan de Basil de Baker Street** : Merci Boucoup! :) Sorry, my french is a little rusty. You meant chapters right? I don't know about sequels at this point.

 **Nausicaa of the Spirits** : I wouldn't be surprised either. I know something similar happened with the show _Rick and Morty_ and they got Jemaine to voice the character they had in mind instead of Bowie (type in 'Goodbye moonmen' if you don't know what I'm talking about, though keep in mind its not a kid friendly show so maybe just listen to the audio?).

 **multyfangirl18** : Or maybe he will? :D I love that song too and THANK GOD they had that as the finale for the movie! I missed the days when Disney movies ended with a finale that involved a chorus! It makes the movie feel more like a broadway musical when they do that.

 **ChangelingRin** : He actually forgot her name. Its easier to remember one thing over the other and I tend to be horrible with names myself. But as to the other part of the question... lets keep reading.

 **Child of Music and Dreams** : _Ooooooh_ *drools with hunger for the tasty sounding stew* I would _soooo_ eat that. Wait a minute, what am I saying?! I couldn't eat that if Tamatoa was an ingredient.

 **Tamatoa's response to Child of Music and Dreams: *backs away very slowly* the readers... are just as sadistic as the writer of this fan fic... aren't they?**

 **Enigma:** Oh ok! :) Cool! :D Oh man I wish I could see my readers when they laugh.

And thanks for looking at my humanized Tamatoa. I wanted him to have elements of his original design and his voice actor and I really doubt he would look physically attractive if he had an actual human form. I mean, you've seen those teeth of his right? I can't see the barnacles on a human form, but his teeth would still be crooked in my opinion.

 **Tamatoa's response to Enigma: *taps claw on ground in controlled annoyance* No, I will not be using his voice as mine is far more superior to his own, thank you very much.**

 **OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon:** Thanks for all your compliments! :)I wish there was more to Tamatoa's backstory so it's fun to build on it. I was working on a fan fic that would have looked into his potential backstory, but I put that on hold. Its not often that I get to write out trickster characters and it was fun to tap into that part of Maui's personality (and yeah, Moana did take it too far but she got caught up with her own frustrations too). I love being able to describe something and I wanted to keep it in balance (and describing how Maui felt during the change was more interesting than actually showing it... plus I really hated that I had to get rid of them so I couldn't bring myself to show that visual to the readers).

I'm glad that it has been enough to make you feel like you are in the story. I can't spoil anything yet but *drools at the idea of crab legs* why must my reviewers tempt me with food?

 **Tamatoa's response to OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon: IF YOU HUMANS KEEP THREATENING TO TURN ME INTO FOOD THEN I'LL EAT** _ **YOU**_ **AS SOON AS I GET TURNED BACK TO MY ORIGINAL SIZE! *glares at OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon and then glares at HolyMaiden24***

 **jhalpernkitcat:** I'll try. Oh yeah, there are a lot of good humanized Tamatoas out there. And you pretty much got down the situation between Moana and Maui down pretty well for this fic. I wanted to do the game thing (irony and all) and my sadistic side wanted them to act like jerks to each other, hence the back slapping/tied to a tree moment. (Neither of them got points for that, in case you wanted to know). I don't know, maybe Maui helped the kids and maybe he didn't. I mean he didn't but this IS Maui we are talking about. Also... *Reads first part of comment, looks at video, then looks back at Tamatoa* Uh...

 ***Holymaiden24 feels awful about what she was about to do***

 **-*Somewhere on the edge of the fourth wall***

Tamatoa stared in confusion at the writer, who looked like a blonde haired, green eyed version of Belle from Beauty and the Beast (that's the closest we can get to describing the author's actual appearance, unless you opted for Rapunzel).

"Look," The writer sighed as she held her hand out. "I know I take things too far, but I don't want to anger a character that I really like to the point that I'm no longer on their good side. I just don't want you going after the reviewers and I guess I wanted to express my affection at the same time. Plus trying to find your tsum-tsum is a pain in my rear so maybe that had something to do with this."

Tamatoa didn't answer so the author took out her laptop. "Ok, there is only one way to redeem myself." She typed something in and within seconds, there was a flash and the crab returned to his giant 50 ft tall self. "Is that better?" She asked.

"I suppose I won't kill you." Tamatoa decided, though he was relieved to be turned back to normal.

"Thanks!" The writer smiled and waved. "My gosh, I can't believe that I would ever write a Disney fan fic. I even keep forgetting that _you're_ a Disney character. I thought I would at least write something for Beauty and the Beast since that's my favorite film of them all... though funny enough I did have a mental image of a Beauty and the Beast AU for Tangled with Flynn as some sort of snake monster." The writer added under her breath with a laugh before a thought struck her. "I'm writing a Disney fan fic... I could do anything I want in the Disney universe... Wait a minute, that means I could–! Hey, do you know where I can buy a bunch of tomatoes?!" The writer turned to Tamatoa who was now just confused.

"Uh... no?"

"Never mind, I can just write a bunch out for after this chapter!" The writer waved as she hurried off.

 **-*back to our A/N*-**

I lucked on this in doing the most important section ahead of schedule which is why this came out so fast. Of course I might need to give myself another break since I got a paper I need to focus on.

Anyway, I think this is a chapter where something that happens is bound to make my readers a little happy. Oh yeah and hopefully I don't have to do a disclaimer on the song since you already know where it comes from.

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Compromise**

Finally free to be herself in a place that very few were aware about, Moana allowed her spirit to escape through her singing as she walked down the dark tunnel with Pua beside her. She had no need for a torch as she knew where she was going after coming here so often.

" _We read the wind and the sky when the sun is high,"_ She sang the song of her ancestors as she hurried to get to the end of the tunnel where a faint light reflected onto the rocks and the sound of a nearby waterfall could be heard. _"We sail the length of the seas, on the ocean breeze."_ Already she could feel her stress evaporate and she hurried the pace. _"At night we name every star, we know who we are."_

She finally reached the end of the tunnel to come across a large cave that seemed as if it could fit her entire village. Instead there were many great boats and canoes from an era long ago when voyaging was more of a way of life rather then staying in one place and occasionally visiting the other islands. Here was her heritage in all its glory and it was one that she was most proud to be a part of. Some of these boats were probably too old to be used again, but Moana felt that she knew better as they all still seemed to be alive and sturdy enough to go back on the ocean.

" _Who we are, who we are."_ She sang as she broke into a big smile and ran towards the other side of the cave where a large body of water was connected to the ocean outside and the daylight filtered through a great waterfall and into the large cave to illuminate it.

She raced towards the one boat that she treasured above them all; it was not as grand looking as the others, but it was just the right size for maybe one or two people to ride upon it and on its sail was a great spiral that reminded her of a whirlpool that could be found in the ocean.

"I'm back!" Moana greeted the boat with a grin and got upon it. "I almost rode another boat a few days ago, but I still hope that it will be you that I get to ride out into the ocean!"

She closed her eyes as she placed a hand on the sail cloth, while she could hear Pua catching up to her. "Can you remember it Pua?" Moana asked as she tried to recall how it felt to be on the ocean so many years ago. "Remember that one time we did go upon the ocean? How the surface below us rocked back and forth and eased our fears? Remember how the ocean smelled or how the wind blew against us? Remember what it was like to move without walking?" It had been so long, but that time when she got kidnapped was the only time where she was sure that she had ever truly experienced the ocean without being pulled away from it within seconds. She wanted more of it–what it felt like to ride over a great wave, to feel total control over a boat and move without walking, to let the sea and the winds guide her along her way.

" _Aue, aue,"_ She sang as she imagined this all in her mind. " _We set a course to find a brand new island everywhere we roam. Aue, aue, we keep our island in our mind, and when its time to find home we know the way."_

She wanted so badly to follow the path of her ancestors that her grandmother told her about so often. No one on this island seemed to like going out very far beyond the reef other than to meet with other islands, but she wanted more than that. She glanced down to find the oar that went with this boat and when she picked it up, she walked a little ways away from the sail but closed her eyes again as she allowed her daydreams to take over.

" _Aue, aue, we are explorers reading every sign,"_ She could envision the kakamora coming towards her upon their great ship and she pretended to paddle away from them as fast as she could. The wind was howling in her ears and caressing her long hair and the imaginary sun in the great blue sky warmed her body. If she could be pushing the oar through water instead of air then it would all feel a lot more real. _"We tell the stories of our elders in a never ending chain."_

She could see them coming towards her as they picked up the pace, but she stayed determined. She would never let herself be captured or bound against her will like last time. _"Aue, aue,"_ She sang as she readied her oar. _"Te fenua, te malie. Na heko hakilia,"_ The creatures were coming and getting on her boat. _"We know the way."_ She held her oar out and right when she got to the end of the last note, she took a mighty swing as she pretended to knock her imaginary foes away.

What she didn't plan was for the oar to not only make her spin around due to how much force she put into it, but she felt it collide into something that created a loud 'SMACK!' sound. The impact was strong enough that it made her stumble backwards and nearly trip over her own feet.

"Huh?!" She opened her eyes to see that her oar had collided right into the man without a voice, who was practically kneeling over and clutching his stomach in pain. "Oh my gosh!" She quickly let go of the oar as she hurried towards him. "I am so sorry!" She apologized as she had a hand to her mouth. "Are you alright?!'

The man waved his hand in an _'It's ok, I'm fine'_ sort of way without looking up.

"I didn't mean to do that, I was pretending to hit something else!" Moana tried to explain herself before she realized that he was in the cave with her. "Wait, how did you find–oh." She groaned as she slumped her head back. "Of _course_ you followed me here." _Can't I ever just have one moment to myself?_ She bitterly thought. _No of course not because someone must hate me._

Maui didn't bother to answer as he sat down on the canoe while clutching his stomach and winced as the stinging died down. That attack should not have been that painful to him and yet the little princess somehow managed it. He wanted to know what the heck she was pretending to hit at and how on earth she managed to pack so much force in that one swing. Was she preparing to go up against a monster in the future? The realm of monsters would be in deep trouble if she ever entered it, if that were the case.

"You won't tell my dad about this, will you?!" Moana pleaded. "This is the only other place near the ocean where I can be alone without him getting mad at me!" When the man finally looked up, he was still wincing in pain but he still gave her a raised eyebrow and an annoyed look that clearly said _'Are you serious?!'_

Moana tried to protest, but she realized it wouldn't help. Trying to resist and fight had gotten neither of them anywhere and it made matters a lot worse than they should have. It made her all too aware of how much of an immature child she had been acting lately and she was just tired of it all. She gave up, let out a sigh, and sat down next to her companion.

"Look, I'm sorry about all that I've done." She began. "I know I've been acting like a spoiled brat instead of a chief like my father wants. And I know that some of the things I've done were unforgivable and I can't take them back. Its just that being the next in line is a lot to take in sometimes and I just happen to find comfort in the very thing he hates." She let out a frustrated laugh. "And I guess the way the things have been recently is clouding my judgement so I'd do anything to get a moment to myself."

As Moana shut her eyes and held her knees to her chest, Maui was finally starting to see the girl in all her vulnerability and not as the person he had known up until now. She was very spirited as well as being insanely stubborn, but when she was on that boat and singing her head off she became the happiest that he had ever seen her. It didn't surprise him that much, considering who she had descended from, but he did find it odd that she (and to a certain extent, her own father) had to treat it as a forbidden delight.

"I guess you heard me singing and saw me playing pretend on the boat, huh?" Moana asked. "The truth is that I don't just go to the ocean to rebel against my father. I feel more like myself when I'm by it and I can relax after I have to deal with a lot of work. But more than anything–more than finally becoming a chief or getting my tattoos to mark my passage into womanhood–I want to take a boat out and sail upon the ocean. I want to do everything that my ancestors did and I want those simple things, like riding upon its surface. I know that sounds weird for someone like me, but I guess my parents just had to have a child who wanted to connect to the sea instead of the land." She let out a weak laugh. "I try to, even if it isn't easy at times. I take pride in the fact that I'm going to be the leader of my people and I want what's best for them so I'm not as ungrateful as I must seem to be. I've tried to ignore the call of the ocean, but it still keeps calling for me." She rested her head on her arms now. "Maybe you know what I'm talking about and maybe you don't. Its ok if you don't." She added as she opened her eyes.

There was a silence between the two as they reflected on the things that made them odd or out of place amongst the others. The only sound was that of the waterfall as it fell into the ocean below, and yet it was a comforting sound within what would have otherwise been a dead silence. Pua sat down upon the sand and observed the fact that, for one moment, there was no annoyance or amusement in Maui's eyes towards Moana. Instead there was an unusual empathy within them that didn't seem in character for him.

It was interesting how, just within simple things like in the eyes, that there was more that could be revealed than within words or actions. And the truth was that he did understand that need to not be tied down in one place forever and that he did want to do what was best for the humans, even if it was difficult at times.

"Father probably gave you a reason as to why he doesn't want me to be near the ocean without an escort, let alone be in a boat, didn't he?" Moana asked as she let go of her knees and let her legs hang off the boat. When Maui turned his head to nod at her, she continued.

"One reason why my father doesn't want me near the ocean is because his friend drowned in it when they were my age." Moana began. "They tried to sneak out, but they took the wrong boat and the waves swallowed them up since it wasn't designed to surpass them. Father obviously survived, but to this day he is afraid that mom and I could go the same way if we ever go out into the ocean. Yet there is also another reason that is a little more well known to the others," She turned to Maui. "Did he tell you that I went missing when I was a child?"

Maui nodded.

"That's the only part of the truth that he is open to sharing." Moana prepared herself for this. "He doesn't believe my story of what actually happened, so promise you won't laugh when I tell you? I know it will be hard to believe when you hear it."

When Maui shook his head no, Moana told the story that only her grandmother believed in.

"When I was a child, Pua and I also tried to sneak out in the dead of the night to get to the shore. What I didn't expect was for these strange looking little creatures to come out of nowhere and kidnap the both of us. The next thing I knew, we were on the sea on a ship that was more like a large floating island of wood, debris, and who knows what else all tied together. Even the creatures looked as if they wore things that they collected throughout their lives."

Wait a minute... Maui frowned at this as he realized that Moana was describing the kakamora's ship. She even confirmed it when she continued "Grandma told me later that the creatures were none other than the kakamora. You know, like in the stories? I know its hard to believe, but anyway they kidnapped me because they knew that my father would do anything to get me back and they wanted to get supplies from him. I was ok with it at first until they said that they were going to eat Pua."

This was starting to sound oddly familiar to him. Actually it was familiar enough that it was as if it happened not that long ago. But it hadn't been that long ago, hadn't it? Wasn't it many years ago long before this girl was even born?

"So I kicked one and Pua and I tried to run away before they could hold us down. I had my hands tied behind my back and I could only kick them away. They caught up to Pua and I went back to help him when one of them sprayed something into my eyes and I was blinded by it." Moana shuddered at the worst part of this memory, unaware of what kind of images she was creating in her companion's mind. "I was terrified and I couldn't see anything but darkness. I could only scream for help as they tried to surround me."

" _NO, NO, NO!" He heard a child scream as he soared through the skies. "FATHER! MOTHER! SOMEONE HELP!" He looked down and he could see that the kakamora were surrounding a child and a small pig upon their ship. He had no clue why the little pests kidnapped a child, but he would not let them get away with it._

"The next thing I recall is that I heard a bird cry out and they quickly let me go. It must have been a really large bird if they reacted like that."

 _The second he let out a cry in his hawk form, the kakamora realized who he was and let go of the child, who stumbled around as if she couldn't see where she was going._

"But then I was hit by something and I feel overboard into the sea."

 _The child suddenly fell into the ocean in the chaos and the pig was squealing its head off as it hurried to the edge and cried for the child. Without even hesitating, he dived towards the water and shifted into the form of a man right before he hit the water._

"I thought I was going to drown. I was so terrified and I couldn't swim at that time. Whatever hit me was making me fall asleep and just when I thought that I was going to die, I felt a hand grab me and I was pulled to the surface."

 _He found the girl as she struggled to swim up, but the binds that held her hands together made it impossible, so he grabbed her and swam up as fast as he could until they both broke through to the surface. He only allowed himself enough time to look at the child and he saw that a purple-black substance had covered her eyelids and she had lucked out in closing them before it could have gotten right into her eyes. She also had a dart lodged somewhere around her shoulder, which must have knocked her out and he realized that he had saved her just in the nick of time._

 _He quickly turned himself into a hawk again and held onto her with one of his talons while the other went to grab the pig, who was terrified out of its mind. He lucked out in getting them as far away as possible and was forced to dodge the spears that were thrown at him._

" _I got you, kid!" He yelled. "Just hang on, I'll get you somewhere safe!"_

 _There was only one known human inhabited island nearby where this child could have been taken from, but he first needed to get her a salve on her eyes before something bad would happen to them._

"I fell asleep, but when I woke up I couldn't see anything except for this blurriness in my eyes." Moana waved a hand over her eyes. "I heard a man's voice and when I was afraid that I had lost my sight forever, he reassured me and said that I wouldn't and he even put a salve over them. Obviously he was right." She laughed.

He remembered the child and how terrified she had been; it made him happy to reassure her that she would be alright and she got excited over her adventure, which was an odd reaction for someone who went through what should have been a traumatic experience.

Was Moana really that same child he rescued?! The same Moana who not only found him on the shore but had also been giving him so much heck was also the same child he once saved and who had offered her friendship without knowing who he was?

"I remember that he joked about having the same thing happen to him and he told me that he saved Pua as well as me. When I thanked him, he pretty much sang the words ' _You're welcome!'_ " She beamed as she threw her arms out and sang those words that he so often said in nearly the exact same tone he would use if he chose to sang it. It was this little detail that helped confirm that the child and this girl were truly one and the same.

"I couldn't make him out in my blindness." Moana's smile dimmed a little. "I wish I could find him and thank him once more. He didn't find it crazy that I would want to go back to the ocean after what happened, and he supported my desire. He even told me that I could make a great explorer and that I could probably find myself in Lalotai one day. He was possibly one of the few people to ever support me being out there on the sea." Moana let out a more genuine laugh before she frowned. "But its weird, I had this sense that he was lonely and depressed for some reason. So I wanted to be his friend and that seemed to make him a little happy."

During this whole time, Moana was unaware that Maui had this incredibly wide eyed look on his face as he listened to the entire story. In fact, if she had bothered to look, she would have seen that his jaw was about ready to hit the ground.

How the heck did he not see it before?! Even now he was starting to see that it was indeed the same girl with the same features, though they had changed and matured a little since then. He could even finally see her true eye color now, which was a warm shade of brown. The more he looked, the more he couldn't deny that Moana was indeed the same girl.

Oh gods, that was right–when the people were calling out to her they used her exact name! How could he have forgotten that?! How did he not make that connection sooner through that alone?! He wanted to slap his face a hundred times over for not realizing this before; it could have saved him so much trouble.

But wait a minute, didn't that mean–? Maui looked down to see Pua finishing up with drawing a familiar looking fish hook in the sand and the pig determinedly pointed to it when he looked him in the eye. This time, Maui was able to figure out what Pua was trying to say through that symbol.

Even the pig remembered him! In fact the pig was the only living thing on this island that knew who he really was! How could he have missed that too?! No wonder the creature still kept kept trying to draw his fish hook in the sand! The shocked look on Maui's own face was enough for Pua to let out a big smile and sigh as he himself finally confirmed that both the demi-god and the man before him were truly one and the same after all.

All Maui could do was quickly nod his head and put a finger to his lips before Pua could do anything to alert Moana. The pig's eyes widened in confusion and Maui quickly stopped what he was doing before Moana could continue.

"Maybe one day I'll find him again, because I remember his voice." Moana continued with a smile. "Its one of those voices you can't forget. Its warm like when the sun is at its highest point in the sky and you feel better when you hear it. It was deep, but it was a friendly voice that was a little smug sounding at one point, but when he laughed I could just imagine him to be this big, happy guy. Even when he hugged me it felt the same way. Its like if you were to hug a mountain and the mountain hugs you back and you feel safe because of it."

When she turned her head, she saw that the man beside her was giving the most awkward look imaginable, though it was quickly joined by an amused smirk. She had no idea why until she remembered what she said.

 _Uh, wow kid._ Maui couldn't help but think, although he liked how she described his voice and how he gave out hugs.

"Argh its not like that!" Moana frantically waved her hands as she felt herself blush with embarrassment. "He could have been my dad's age or even my grandmother's age! He might not have even been human or–I just don't–I swear I'm not romantically interested in him, I just want to see what he looks like and say thank you again!" Moana blurted out before she cringed and held her face in her hands. "Oh gods, why did I say any of that?!"

Her reaction made Maui smile, but it also hid just how much he was frustrated. Only one thing could have changed everything and Moana would have known that she was sitting right next to the person who saved her long before they were at each others necks. If he could only say the two words he liked to say the most to mortals, then this matter would have been cleared in an instant. Of all the times he wished he could of had his voice back and not taken up that offer in the first place, this currently had to top them all.

Someone out there must have really hated him to allow this to happen. Oh wait yeah there was (he was probably having a laugh over it somewhere under the sea) and Maui just had to fall for it.

Unfortunately, if Moana realized who he was, then there would have been a good chance that she would have seen him as just some hero in her life rather than an actual person, which he had to avoid if he wanted to survive his current ordeal. If she was the person who was to help him get out of this, then she had to know him for who he was which meant that something needed to be changed in their interactions with each other.

Maui glanced back to the sail as he realized that there was now another reason why he would need to get his voice back as soon as possible. Moana had opened up to him more in this day than in the majority of the time he knew her since he showed up and though he couldn't flat out tell her who he was, there was perhaps something he could do instead for her if he was extremely careful. After all, he didn't earn a reputation of being a trickster for nothing.

He got back up onto the boat and picked up the oar to examine it and when Moana finally turned around and saw what he was doing, she was able to pick up the hint he was trying to give her.

"Can you sail?" She asked as she tried to forget the awkwardness of the last moment. "Not just any boat, but this kind?"

Maui looked up from the oar and smiled as he nodded in confirmation.

"Could you–?!" Moana excitedly began but then she realized how eager she seemed and how fast this could go in another direction. "Could you teach me?" Her voice was a little less certain.

Instead of answering, Maui weighed the oar in his hand at an agonizingly slow pace as he gave Moana a waiting look. It took her a couple of seconds to get why he wasn't answering her.

"You... you want me to stop fighting with you, right?" Moana asked.

He nodded but he still did the same movement.

"And I'll have to do everything you tell–err, show me, right?"

Same reaction.

"Ok, granted that might be hard but I guess you'll find a way. And you won't let my dad find out right?" Moana asked as she frowned. "If he finds out, then we both get in trouble." She warned him.

This time he shook his head no.

"And you better keep your promise and not tell him if you really mean to help me! I mean it, no take backs!"

He nodded and Moana let out a relieved smile, though she was not fully convinced about this just yet. "Thanks."

Maui set the oar back down, got off the boat, and began to walk away. "Wait, not right now?" Moana asked as she hurried to get up and catch up to him. Maui only turned to give Moana a look she couldn't read. "You'll give me a sign or let me know though, right?"

Maui nodded and turned around to head back.

"By the way," Moana added as she caught up to him as she realized she owed him something in return. "I–uh–thank you for helping us." She finally said. "I don't know what you've gone through and I don't know where it is you need to go to or why when this is all over... but I just want to thank you for all your help and for putting up with me and the others in the meantime."

This made Maui hesitate and Moana waited to see how he would react. He turned around and gave her an appreciative smile as he placed his hand on her shoulder. She could once again feel the strength within his grip that matched his size, yet his hold now felt comforting. She watched as he mouthed something and she knew, without a doubt, what he was trying to say to her.

' _You're welcome.'_

Meanwhile, Pua was frustrated as he caught up to them. Why wouldn't Maui allow Pua to let Moana know who he was? Did it have to do with his current appearance or why he couldn't speak? He watched as Moana slipped out of Maui's grasp and began to head back to the pathway that lead back to the island. As Maui turned around to follow her, the little creature let out a grunt of annoyance and trailed behind him while glaring at the former demi-god.

But then, without any warning, something strange happened that caught Pua's attention thanks to the amount of light that had managed to enter the cave through the waterfall. He thought he saw the ink on one of the tattoos on Maui's arm waver for a moment like water rocking back and forth.

Then the ink suddenly changed in shape and a small something that Pua could barely make out with what little light there was in the cave merged out of it. Whatever the thing was, it had a human shape and it gave Pua a quick wave before it merged back into the tattoo, just as Maui froze up and looked behind his shoulder. Maui moved his arm in a specific direction to try to see where he had felt the strangely familiar sensation upon his skin and even touched the spot with a hopeful look in his eyes.

Maui looked at the spot for a couple of seconds before he gave up and walked away. Pua tried to comprehend what he just saw but he decided to save it for another time and continued to follow the others.

* * *

Later that night, Sina sighed in relief as she watched Moana speak to the man who she used to butt heads with until now from a distance near the fale. She was glad that her daughter was finally looking more at ease and that she seemed a little more confident now than she did this morning. She was also grateful that the tempest between the two had finally ended as it would make things much easier for everyone.

"See, I told you so." Sina felt Tui wrapped his arms around her and she placed her hands upon them. "I don't know what happened since her practice, but its nice to see her smiling again." He commented.

"Well I suppose you were right this time." Sina admitted.

"What do you mean 'this time'?"

Sina snorted and let out a laugh. "Ok, you have been right more than once. Otherwise I doubt I'd have married you by now."

"And I would have had to rescue you from the big bad eel instead of trusting you to do it yourself."

"Oh gods," Sina groaned but she appreciated her husband's sense of humor. "I wouldn't have minded a little adventure but luckily I wasn't that Sina."

"While we are on the subject," Tui began as he traced imaginary circles on his wife's arm. "Are you feeling any better? Your illness has been going on for quite sometime."

"It comes and goes." Sina sighed. "Usually in the mornings."

Tui stopped tracing the circles as a thought struck him. "You don't think–?" He began. "I mean it sounds as if–"

"That would be nice, wouldn't it?" Sina smiled as she caught onto what he was trying to suggest. "But its been so long since it happened before and I don't know if it could happen again at this rate."

"If it were, then I wouldn't mind it." Tui confessed. "That would be only one of two reasons why I would accept you being sick. The other is that I would get to tend to you." He kissed her on the cheek.

"Oh you tease!" Sina chuckled as she playfully swatted her husband on the arm. "You don't really mean that!"

Meanwhile, Moana waved farewell to her new friend and began to head back to the fale. Although she didn't entirely trust him just yet, she was still hopeful that he would keep his word so now it was a matter of how this odd arrangement would work.

As she walked to the fale, she saw her grandmother starring up into the sky some distance away. Confused as to why the woman was not at her home (and so far away at that) Moana headed towards her grandmother. As she got closer, she saw that her grandmother wore a very concerned look on her face and she was gripping her cane rather tightly.

"Is something wrong?" Moana asked. "Are you considering a new tattoo?" She joked.

Tala chuckled. "Ah, it would be fun, but no I'm afraid not." She frowned at the dark night sky and the stars that illuminated it as well as a little of the moon that glowed brightly above them all. "Moana, I must ask you something that may sound odd. Does something about the sky seem out of place to you?"

Moana took a moment to look at the night sky. "No?"

"Look everywhere."

Moana obeyed and looked at the sky, but she couldn't find anything out of place. "I don't see anything."

"Not even above us?"

Moana looked up. "Nothing seems wrong."

"Our ancestors used the stars to guide their way across the ocean to help them know where they were going." Tala held her hand out in the position that the wayfinders used with all her effort. "As long as we had them, we could find our way. Yet there is a set of stars that has been missing for many nights, no matter how much I have looked. Up, down, left, right, I have looked everywhere and yet they are gone."

"Which ones?"

Tala's hand dropped. "That would be the ones that make the shape of Maui's fish hook. It was said that following that constellation would lead you to him, no matter where he is, yet they have vanished without a trace."

The way Tala sounded concerned made Moana worried. It was never a good thing if her grandmother was deeply concerned about something. "What could that mean?" Moana asked.

"Something must have happened to Maui and I fear that whatever it was, it was enough to make his stars vanish." Tala bit her lip for a moment. "I doubt he is dead, but I have a bad feeling that whatever it was that caused the stars to vanish, it was not good. There's no telling what will happen if this isn't changed and I hope for Maui's sake that this isn't because he lost the favor of the gods or committed a terrible crime."

Tala shook her head and smiled. "Well, see you in the morning." She made her way back to her fale and left Moana staring up at the night sky.

"There would have to be a reason why his constellation has vanished." Moana spoke to herself as a fear crept up inside her. "What could he have done to lose the favor of the gods, if there is no other reason?"

She closed her eyes. "Please tell me that's not the case." She pleaded in hopes that the demi-god could hear her. "If you don't live among us then you at least live on in our stories. You must know how much you mean to us so please don't let us lose our faith in you. Otherwise I'd grab you by the ear and demand that you fix this." She added with a scowl.

She hoped that whatever had happened would be something that could be fixed and be done as soon as possible.

* * *

 **Well on one hand, Maui FINALLY knows who Moana is so now its a question of how soon SHE figures it out/learns who he is. On the other... well, we shall see since it looks like there still might be trouble on the horizon.**

 **I've rarely written out adorable married couple interactions, so I admit that the little interaction between Tui and Sina was enjoyable.**

 **Ok, ok. I better get this answered since I know you guys have asked me this a few times. So some of you wanted to know if I will make Tamatoa use Maui's voice and some of you have probably been wondering that and haven't asked in a review yet. If you don't want any spoilers, I'd recommend avoiding this, but here is the answer.**

 **Ready?**

 **Ok?**

 **Alrighty then.**

 **Starting now.**

 **...I'm horrible at this.**

 **Ok, NOW! You were warned.**

 **The answer is no. I've already hinted at it in the story a few times but I'm going ahead and confirming that Tamatoa is NOT going to use Maui's voice because I cannot see him doing that. He's a rather vain fellow and to him that would be stupid as he would rather use his own voice. I got something planned and I promise it will be good, but please be patient and try to avoid asking anymore about it because I don't want to spoil anything that might be unique to this AU.**

 **Ok, then, I think I've gathered enough tomatoes now. Until next time, my readers.**

 **-*Somewhere in Renaissance era Paris, France*-**

What should have been an enjoyable festival was quickly ruined as the sky rained down an endless storm of tomatoes upon the heads of what was a mob of cruel and mocking party goers.

"WHAT SORCERY IS THIS?!" One of them screamed.

On a wooden contraption that was somehow spared by this rain and in front of a person who had been tied down to a wheel was an oddly dressed female who was manically laughing her head off as she threw her hands to the sky.

"REVENGE! SWEET REVENGE!" She cried out in joy. "IT'S NOT SO FUNNY WHEN YOU ARE ON THE OTHER END, IS IT YOU SICKOS?!" She yelled out to the crowd. "WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THIS SOONER?!" She let out an evil sounding laugh. "GODS I LOVE BEING A FAN FIC WRITER!"

"She is clearly an agent of the devil!" A creepy man in black pointed at her from his chair. "Grab her and burn her at the stake!"

The female only let out a delighted grin and pulled a sword out. "FOR JUSTICE!" She screamed her head off as she leapt off the podium and ran towards the man. "THIS IS FOR THOSE WHO GET OPPRESSED BY PEOPLE LIKE YOU, YOU MISERABLE OLD-!"

 **-*this scene is not to be continued as it deviates too much from the fan fic and we can't afford a pointless filler chapter. The writer's revenge fantasy in a Disney film is not as important as this fan fic and does not fit in with the fan fic in any shape or form. We apologize for any inconvenience and offer Disneyland balloons to make up for this.*-**


	7. Upon the ocean

**EDIT: Ok what the actual heck? I saw an error in this chapter and when I looked back in the original document, it wasn't there! If you guys see anything that ever seems out of place, please let me know and I'll fix it.**

Somewhere where it was really dark, Tamatoa was in bioluminescent form and he was waiting as the writer (who was covered in green bioluminescent markings and a bunch of green jewelry) recounted something as she sat on his shell and cleaned her sword off with a rag.

"Long story short, Mickey sent Sora, Donald, and Goofy to stop me, so one died." She concluded. "And yes that was a Kingdom Hearts reference. Anyway, say you wrote a book and you want to get published. Would I try to sponsor myself through inkshares, kickstarter, or just go ahead with a self-publishing website?"

"I honestly have no idea what you are talking about and I think you have other matters to attend to." The crab responded as he pointed to the reader from beyond their screen. "And yes, I was referring to you specifically." He told you.

The writer looked up in confusion before she smiled and waved at you. "Oh hey, sorry! I got pretty busy cleaning the tomatoes off my sword. Anyway, onto those responses."

 **ChangelingRin:** Hmmm... maybe? *Grins evilly* I think you were the first one to remember that line back in chapter 2.

 **Nausicaa of the Spirits:** *sings _'You're welcome'_ and makes Tamatoa scowl* Ugh, elections... there's a reason why I avoid talking about politics in my fan fic but I hate how things have turned out. But on a plus side, that was an awesome song and I love how it's done in the film.

 **Child of Music and Dreams:** *Also crackles evilly as she cleans her sword* I love it when we can be a little evil now and then.

 **Tamatoa's response to Child of Music and Dreams: *sighs* Then again it would explain why none of you outright hate all the other villains I get grouped with.**

 **Silversun XD:** Aw :) And dumbstruck Maui is adorable... though a Maui giving Moana a big hug is equally adorable (If we can't have a kiss, then I accept that hug. Even the illustrations from the books that show the hug is adorable). And I think she would so its a matter of how he'd react.

 **Subaku no Jess:** Thanks :) Yeah let's hope Tamatoa is a good actor *pats Tamatoa's shell* I think it would be a sin not to keep Tamatoa from being a giant crab *Tamatoa coughs at this* but I'll see. I got an epic final battle planned that'll hopefully be awesome.

Oh ho! Tamatoa using 'You're Welcome' against Maui?! ***Both Holymaiden24 and Tamatoa both have creepy wide grins at this and it doesn't help that both of them are bioluminescent... or at least one of them actually is*** I _so_ need to use that somehow if the story allows me to. I'm crediting you if it happens!

 **OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon:** Oh it would be a sin if I didn't make him go bioluminescent! I wanted to revisit the first chapter during the re-telling for dramatic effect and I'm glad to see that it worked. As for Tamatoa learning about what Maui is up to... uh... actually he DOES have something like that but I think he only uses it to watch _'Flight of the Conchords.'_ I also don't know too much about the differences in crab meat but they all sound good.

*Tamatoa looks at the necklace* Uh... No I didn't curse you. What the heck is she talking about? And why is the dragon... *goes to read fan fic* Oooh... ok that made sense.

 **Tamatoa's response to OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon: *is excited* Sure thing, Babe. *takes necklace and gives OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon a wink* And ah... sorry about what I did to your dragon friend. I guess I got too carried away back there but now that I think of it, I can see that I shouldn't ruin something that's perfect.**

 **jhalpernkitcat:** Yeah, we're doing ok for now. I'm not Jewish, but I guess that makes sense. So no imitation crab meat then? Just curious.

Mini Maui was there the whole time, he was just in hiding. Remember how he is a representation of Maui's conscience? It has a connection to this story in a certain way. I don't know if Maui's tattoos would return if he becomes human, but as you will soon see, something else starts happening as he continues to develop a connection with Moana.

Heh, Doctor Who... I got the reference. I honestly prefer the Russell T Davis era, I stopped watching that show some time ago. I'm not a huge fan of Steven Moffat's writing because of how annoying it is (the 50th anniversary episode was a let down for a number of reasons. I wanted the real Rose, dang it! DoctorxRose forever!)

 **Enigma:** *hands Enigma the balloons* Heh, I can't imagine him getting braces besides the obvious 'shiny' addition. Actually I don't think he would care if his teeth were crooked or not... would he? I mean I got braces at one point in my youth so that was really hypocritical of me to say that in the first place.

 **Tamatoa's response to Enigma: Ok, ok I'll spare you. To answer your question, it takes a lot of practice in order to master such a feat and the amount of pressure in your grip has to be light, whether you are holding a coin or a struggling little human child. The bigger you get, the harder it gets, but luckily I have... maybe more time than I should have, what with living by myself and not having guests over as much as others would. But with lots of practice you can make this *pulls out a carefully designed cage made out of some sort of bone and lots of rope* and do this–**

 **-?-**

"Come on, come on!" Moana snarled as she kept smashing the button on her controller while she, Belle, Rapunzel, and Mulan were playing Super Smash Brothers. In fact, all of them were so engrossed in the game that they failed to see a cage come smashing down upon them and the TV.

"What the heck?!" Belle screamed as the girls quickly realized what just happened.

"No, no, I refuse to let this happen!" Rapunzel yelled out. "I DON'T WANT TO GET TRAPPED AGAIN!"

"Uh, who is that?" Mulan pointed at what was outside of the cage. Moana took a look and felt her heart stop when she recognized the culprit.

"ARE YOU _SERIOUS_?!" She yelled up at Tamatoa. "IS THIS FOR WHAT HAPPENED BACK THEN?!"

"See Enigma?!" Tamatoa gestured to the cage with a flourish while the writer went from cleaning her sword to typing on her laptop. "Good enough to trap a few princesses!"

"Well not for me!" Moana yelled. "Let us out!" She demanded, but her foe merely laughed and strutted away from her and her friends.

 **-Back to the A/N-**

 **Yup, Mini Maui is still around and kicking!**

 **My knowledge of sailing is painfully limited so I had to do the best that I could. Also, if I get any of the hand gestures mixed up with actual sign language, I apologize in advance for that.**

 **The lyrics are from the song 'Innocent Warrior' from Moana, if no one catches on to it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7 Upon the ocean**

It was getting closer and closer to the long awaited day and the people of Motonui were getting more caught up in preparing for the visit. Even so there was always a guaranteed chance that you would notice something had changed if you paid attention to a certain interaction between two of the people on the island. Another thing you would have noticed a little more so was that Moana seemed to be a bit more confident in herself and looked a little less overwhelmed.

"I think we are about done." A woman showed Moana some tapas that were getting close to being finished and would replace some of the old ones in the community fale. "Though I don't know if we will have enough time to make new ones for trading or not."

"Why don't we focus on replacing the old tapas?" Moana suggested. "If you would like to make some to trade with, why not keep them on the small side?" She suggested. "There'll always be next time."

"We'll consider it." The woman smiled. She watched as Moana hurried off and was followed by her silent companion who had watched the future Chief interact with the women at the tapas. "Well at this rate at least the community fale will look good as new." She joked to a friend who was painting on a design for a tapestry.

"How are we on the coconuts?" Moana asked Talia as she and the others tended to the harvest.

"Well the new grove is still growing and we might need to wait for a bit for these ones to ripen up." Talia noted. "Father also wanted me to tell you that the taro roots will be ready in time, but it wouldn't hurt to let some of them grow a bit more."

"Ok, that's good!" Moana beamed as she hurried off to the fishing fale.

"How are we?" She asked the fishermen as they counted the fish. "Do the fish keep switching places on everyone?"

"They still give us a hard time, but I think were doing just fine." One of the men showed Moana a spear with a familiar looking head. "It's thanks to your friend over there that they can't get away from us that easily."

Moana turned to her companion, who just gave her a smile. "It does look as if the fishes wouldn't be able to slip away from the spearheads." Moana admitted before turning back to facing the fishermen. "Remember that we don't want to scare them all off. We will need to get a bunch more before the Chief visits, so maybe try to get as much as you can on the day before?"

After Moana waved to the fishermen and made to go off to her next task, she turned to the man beside her. "You'll have to show us how you make those." Moana began. "I could see that the visitors would want some and that would make trading easier. Plus I doubt you would want to make more than you'd like to in your free time." She quickly added.

The man gave her a careful look before shrugging. In truth, he wasn't entirely willing to pass on all his secrets but maybe he could make a small exception.

It was later on after Moana helped watch over the children at her grandmother's fale that the man pulled her aside and began to lead her to the cave. Tala paused in her story telling to watch the interaction and when she was pleased to see that there was not going to be a repeat of what happened last time, she continued the story.

"You'll show me now, right?" Moana asked. When the man nodded, she let out a big grin and had to keep herself from bursting out in excitement, otherwise that would get them both caught.

In the secret cave that was far from prying eyes, both of them had to learn that limited communication was not going to make teaching easy. Fortunately neither of them were willing to let this get in the way of things since they had done a more than decent job of interacting with each other up to this point.

Maui watched as Moana held up the oar. "So could you make a sign for each part of the boat and then just let me know if I get anything mixed up?"

He nodded.

"So what would the sign for this be?" She held the oar out.

He gave her a childish smirk and mimicked paddling the oar in the ocean, which made her feel a little foolish. Still it was more obvious and already the easiest to remember. "Ok, that made sense." Moana glanced at the sail before looking back to him. "Uh... and the sail?"

He made a fist with his hand.

"And I suppose the waves would be..." She did a waving motion with her hand that bobbed up and down like the waves of the sea and he accepted this with a nod.

"Uh..." Moana frowned as she looked at the extra parts of the boat that she was not as familiar with like the large pole in front of the sail. "I... I don't know what that is." She admitted. "I don't know what the ropes can do either." She felt embarrassed. "I mean I think I heard something once or twice but I don't know."

Maui eyed every part of the boat. The halyard, the shroud, and the sheet would be tricky to 'explain' unless he actually showed her how they could be used. If he encouraged her to try to ask someone about the terminology then it would raise questions which neither of them wanted.

He went ahead and moved behind the boat, forcing Moana to watch in confusion as he moved it into the water with the same ease as two men pushing a similar sized boat into the water together. "We aren't going out into the ocean just yet, are we?" She asked.

He shook his head no and didn't stop until the boat was completely in the water. When it did, Maui gestured for Moana to get on and she was more than happy to do so. It felt wonderful to feel the boat rock back and forth under her feet again, no matter how short it would last for.

Maui grabbed the sheet and handed the end that was laying on the boat to Moana. She waited to see what he would do and when he gave it a pull, she saw that the sail moved in one particular direction.

"Ok, so this helps with moving the sail." She quickly picked up on this with a smile. "So just do a pulling motion for this one?"

Maui nodded with a smile; maybe this wouldn't be as hard as he thought after all.

* * *

Sometime in the dead of night, Pua snuck into Maui's fale, which was not too far from Chief Tui's fale.

The fale did not have much in it, except for one sleeping giant of a man, a few spear heads that he had made, some coconut shells with scrimshaw upon them, and hidden behind a few baskets was the necklace of animal teeth that he had first sworn before he stopped wearing it on his first day on Motonui. Pua had a sneaking suspicion that Maui stopped wearing it because it would have made him look a little familiar to those who saw his image, but that was not his concern and instead he went to the sleeping Maui, whose head was flopped over to one side and whose left arm was exposed to the open air.

Pua walked over to the shoulder and waited to see if the strange tattoo from before would reappear. Sure enough, the strange grinning symbols on the shoulder shifted and parted to make a large circle and revealed a smiling figure that looked a lot like Maui. In fact it was the same figure Pua saw the day before.

The figure waved and moved to the side to show a young Moana and Pua playing upon Maui's skin.

So what was left of the tattoos did remember Pua; when the miniature version of Maui pointed at the tattooed version of Pua and back to the actual Pua, the pig nodded to confirm that they were also one and the same.

Mini Maui pantomimed pondering something with a hand cupped over his chin and a few question marks popped around his head before he pointed to his host, then pointed to a smaller version of the original tattooed version of himself, and then finally pointed to a non-tattooed version that looked identical to the current appearance of his host. Relieved to see that someone that could communicate with him would give the much needed answers, Pua nodded.

Mini Maui nodded back as the smaller versions of the two versions of Maui, Moana, and Pua were absorbed into the ink and a crowd of cheering people rose up from the bottom of the circle. Mini Maui gained tattoos upon himself to represent the demi-god before he had been changed and he acted out as if he were excited and enjoyed the people's praises. But as the seconds passed, the people continuously vanished and were replaced by more people and the excitement in Maui's face died away and he began to frown.

The ink shifted and showed Maui talking to a Chief, who pointed to a few monsters off in the distance. Maui took out his fish hook and when he approached the monsters he bashed them repeatedly on the head in a comical fashion until the monsters hurried away in fear. Maui approached the Chief with a smile of pride, but then the Chief merely smirked, turned away to his people, and they all left Maui alone. Maui had a very offended look on his face as he dropped the fish hook to the ground, but the offense died away into dejection and he turned away with a sad look in his eyes. A cloud then appeared over his head that showed the more human like form within it.

From what Pua could gather, Maui seemed to be tired out by something, but he had been taken advantage of in the past and was not acknowledged for what he had done for that Chief and his people. So why would Maui be thinking of himself as a human? Did he want to become one?

The ink then swirled together and this time it showed a rather unexpected scene, as Maui's smaller incarnation was in the company of a giant crab that looked more than familiar to Pua after seeing his image one time too many.

What did Tamatoa have to do with Maui being a human?

The tattoo version of Tamatoa moved his mouth as if talking and another version of Maui appeared, along with one of the humans. An arrow pointed at Maui before pointing at the human, then it pointed back to Maui, who then turned into the more human version that was currently asleep. Ok, so Tamatoa must have turned him into a human somehow, but then the arrow pointed to a scene that was a little lower on the real Maui's arm. It showed that Maui smiling at another human and this human hugged him before they grabbed his hand and took him away.

Pua was really confused about this part and Mini Maui saw this, so he just held his hand up and gestured to Tamatoa, who slammed a large shell on the ground in front of him. Mini Maui walked over to the strange object and began drinking something out of it, before he recoiled away after a few gulps. He opened his mouth and gagged like Heihei would when heaving up a stone and something circular came out of the smaller Maui's mouth before he collapsed into the sand and the markings that represented his tattoos vanished off his body. A great wave of water then came to take Maui away from Tamatoa, who grinned in sadistic delight as he scooped up the circular object into a shell on a necklace.

Pua watched as Tamatoa vanished and the waves carried the still sleeping Maui away before setting him upon a spot of land, where Heihei appeared to peck at his head before Pua's smaller incarnation came to find him. The tattoo version of Pua panicked and made to cry out to something and a teenaged version of Moana hurried to the scene to find Maui before she knelt beside him with a concerned frown on her face.

Mini Maui woke up to mimic clutching at his throat and when the circular object appeared again, he pointed to it and then pointed to his throat before acting out as if he were trying to say something. He give Pua a shrug and an apologetic, yet hopeful smile before the characters all swirled together until they changed back into the original tattoo that had been upon Maui's arm (the one that belonged to this current version, not the other one).

Pua had a hard time gathering what was going on and somehow Tamatoa helped Maui turn into a human, but what exactly was it that came out of Maui that the crab took? Was it his voice? What did it mean when Maui hugged the other human? And why exactly would the ocean bring Maui back to Moana of all people after all this had happened? He hated that he now had more questions than before.

Unknown to him, Mini Maui was also frustrated because there was a lot of additional info that would be hard to convey in a way that Pua would easily understand. This included the time limit, the bet, and just how important it was for Moana to develop a bond with Maui that would be strong enough to let him know that someone out there truly valued him for who he was.

Plus he was quite fond of that spirited human girl and he was sure that Maui was secretly fond of her too, no matter how much he would try to deny it.

* * *

The days began to pass and Moana and Maui's relationship slowly evolved into something a little more than a truce.

He taught her as much as he could about sailing, yet he would not let the boat go out of the cave just yet. He even had to change up when Moana could go to the cave so that her father would not get suspicious and there were a few times where they had to sneak out in the dead of night. There were some struggles with trying to teach her without words, but the actions alone was more than enough to replace them and the more Moana was quick to pick up Maui's cues, the more she was able to react in time to what she had to do. She had many questions about what could happen, such as if a wave were about to overpower her, and he would guide her in what to do. Some things were harder than others, but something like teaching her how to tie a knot properly and have her copy him was easier. She also learned that no matter how much she could watch the fishermen at their boats by the shore so that she could try to pick up more about sailing, it just wasn't going to cut it; their boats were just not built the same as hers was.

As Maui sat down on the boat and let his legs hang off after one of the lessons, Moana realized that the boat was once again in the water. In fact it was pretty far from the shoreline to the point that the water below had to be a good five feet deep.

And her teacher wasn't paying attention to her; one could say that he seemed rather distracted.

With an evil grin, Moana decided it was time for some well deserved revenge. She quietly backed a few feet away before she ran towards Maui with her hands out. The moment he turned his head and slightly shifted his position, she pushed him right in the shoulders (she remembered to avoid the sensitive part on his back) and watched in delight as he tumbled right off the boat and into the water with a tremendous, yet satisfying splash.

When Maui broke through the surface, he quickly turned around and had to move his water soaked hair out of his face to see that Moana was kneeling beside the boat and giving him a big grin with one eyebrow raised at him. He was confused as to why she had done this to him until he realized she was in the same position he was when he threw her into the sea.

Oh so that was it. She wanted revenge for that little incident and took her chance when he was distracted.

When Moana saw the man in the water give her a deep scowl, she dropped her smile and wondered if she took it too far again. She gulped as he let go of his hair before he swam towards her and she hoped to the gods that this would not ruin their agreement.

Instead, Maui reached out to grab Moana by the leg and pulled her right into the water alongside him. Her splash was not as spectacular as his own, but it was still just as satisfying to him.

When it was her turn to brake through the surface and move her hair out of her face, Maui let out a hilariously amusing grin at how utterly shocked the teenager looked. When she realized what he had done, Moana could only let out a laugh and slapped the water to splash a wave right at him. Maui took this as an invite to a fight and he splashed a larger wave back at her and even though she was hit by it, Moana did not back down from the challenge and an epic watery showdown ensued. Unfortunately it probably was not as epic as it seemed, but it was the fun that counted.

Moana could not stop laughing and even between splashes she could tell that the man was also laughing, even if she could not hear it. A part of her wanted so badly to know what that laugh was supposed to sound like, yet the other part just wanted to let go and have fun. It was only then that she stopped seeing this man as an unwanted guardian or just a teacher who she still had a hard time trusting to not tell her father about her lessons–instead he became a genuine friend. Maybe he wasn't the exact kind of friend most would picture for someone like her but she didn't care.

* * *

At night when Moana tried to measure the stars, Maui had to correct her position so that she had her arm straight out and her fingers were joined together, before standing beside her to do the same. Her hand was so much smaller and more slender than his own hand, yet it was starting to get some calluses though not quite as much as his own. The way was his own hand was shaped was so unusual compared to most other men to the point it almost didn't seem human-like, yet was clearly ideal for certain tasks and hard labor. Moana smiled at the sight of her hand and his own against the night sky, but as she measured the stars, she thought about the missing constellation. Perhaps her companion knew something about it?

"Have you noticed that Maui's constellation is missing from the sky lately?" Moana asked as she glanced at him. "Grandma noticed it and–"

Maui was alarmed by this question and looked up at the sky and every part of it that surrounded him before looking up as high as he could to see if it was over Motonui, but it wasn't.

That was not good. Nope, not good at all.

"So you're concerned about it too?" Moana asked as she dropped her hand. "I don't know why it vanished, but I hope nothing bad has happened to Maui." She frowned. "I mean some people still think he's just a story and some think he is still alive. I think he does exist, but I really hope he didn't do something to anger the gods. I know he did some things that were not favorable in some of the stories–including the ones we can't exactly tell the children." She winced at the memory of some of those tales. "But some of us still look up to him despite his faults."

"He's done so much for us–maybe more than we could have asked for–that I'd hate it if his legacy ended on a bad note. Actually I got inspiration from him when I sent those kids upon you so that I could get away." She chuckled as she grew thoughtful. "Someone who is both brave enough to face the worst of situations and smart enough to figure out a situation in a small amount of time... we need more people like that in this world."

Moana didn't see Maui look away, nor did she notice the look of guilt in his eyes. Normally such words would be taken as praises and would give him an ego boost, but it didn't this time around. She was giving him way too much credit than she realized.

Maybe he took the human race for granted after all this time. He had been focused so much on seeing them as a whole and was constantly trying to do everything for them to get their approval that he kept forgetting that there were those who had still believed him in and were not expecting him to constantly outdo himself for their sake. And just to twist the knife further, it figured that he got in this mess in the first place because he felt that the appreciation the humans had towards him was not entirely genuine as it used to be and wore off throughout the ages. Yet here was proof that someone still remembered and believed in him, even if she didn't know who he was. He hated being regarded as just a story instead of an actual person at times, so this confession meant a lot to him.

Except he was sure that that Moana would be more than upset if she ever found out the truth about why he was the way he was now and even more so if he lost the 'little' bet he made awhile back.

"But maybe its just off season and the stars will come back." Moana tried to reassure herself. "Maybe the constellation is elsewhere, right?"

The longer he stayed as a human, the more there would be at stake. He could not bring himself to disappoint Moana if she had to learn the truth and yet...

When exactly did it get to the point that he had grown to care so much about what one human out of an entire race felt about him? Why would the idea of disappointing her more than an entire race of mortals scare him like this?

All he knew was that he couldn't abandon her now just because he was terrified over what consequences he would face. He could at least fulfill her wish before he had to make a decision in the future about whether or not he would need to leave this island and spare themselves from a tragic end to this irony.

* * *

More time began to pass and Maui counted as it went from eight days, to six days, and eventually it got to the point where he had three days left, as did Moana for when the Chief would come to visit. He tried to avoid thinking about the future and instead just try to focus on the present.

He did what he could and helped Moana get the coconuts they needed, or the fruit from other plants. He showed her exactly how he made the barbed spears, though it was easier said then done and she ended up nicking herself a few times. He also watched as she talked about making a proper enclosure for the animals with a few villagers and agreed on double reinforcing some parts of them.

"Just keep that rooster in a basket though, he'd peck his way out of the enclosure if he knew what he was doing." A man pointed and sure enough Heihei was pecking at some rope that was slowly becoming undone by his sharp beak.

"I'll think on that." Moana promised as she picked Heihei up and carefully petted his feathers. The rooster made no protest to this and enjoyed the petting while it lasted.

Maui allowed Moana to show him around the island and the forested areas as she talked about the island and the history of her people as well as a little about herself. It was in the forest where she was allowed to be more adventurous and he could only watch in amusement as she took a large leaf and used it to slide down one of the oddly angled trees over a big ditch. She offered the leaf for him to do the same thing and he did– except his weight made the leaf snap in half and caused him to fall into the ditch and she had to watch as he crawled back up.

"I swear I didn't mean to do that on purpose!" Moana apologized, but there was a smile on her face. When she felt something grab onto her ankle, she looked down to see that her companion was holding onto it with a very sneaky smile while keeping his head turned to the side as a respectful precaution.

"Oh no, don't you dare do that again!" Moana began. "No I said don't!" She laughed when he tugged on her ankle, but he did not even try to pull her into the ditch. "Maybe next time you can get back at me when I deserve it!"

Moana herself oversaw everything to make sure that her village was presentable and that they had enough food for their guests, in addition to having enough goods to trade with. Everything was becoming a giddy whirl as the Royal Marae and the community fale were both completely cleaned and presentable, the coconuts were being picked, and everything else was coming into place.

The dancing lessons for the event was going along well and her own dancing was getting better and better with each passing day as she tried to find more time to practice on her own. She took inspiration from the ocean to keep her movements slow, steady, yet fluid and graceful, and those who saw this picked up on the changes.

"She's going to be beautiful." A healthier looking Sina smiled at Tala as they watched Moana dance outside the community fale. "I don't know what you said, but she's improved so much."

"Oh, I think she found inspiration where she needed it the most." Tala chuckled. "Her confidence is also playing a big role in all of this." She looked to the man who could not speak and watched as he smiled on in pride at Moana. "Though I think some additional help around here has somehow played a part."

The music ended and Moana was greeted with applause. She couldn't help but curtsey to her audience and let out a smile as her mother walked towards her. "You will make us all proud." Sina smiled. "Even our ancestors would find this enjoyable to behold."

"I hope it will be as easy as this one time." Moana nervously laughed, but Sina put a hand on Moana's shoulder. "Allow the music and the spirit of your soul to guide you." Sina advised her daughter. "Do this and all of Motonui and the people of Chief Hoani will see you for who you are on the inside."

"I hope I don't reveal too much!" Moana laughed.

Meanwhile Maui frowned from his spot because something about the name of the Chief sounded familiar, even if it might have been mentioned in passing before. Did he know a Chief that went by that name? He had met several in his time, so why did this one scream out at him?

Actually, wasn't there a Chief he had met that mentioned this island some time ago?

" _That is a gift for the family of the Chief of Motonui! I did not promise that to you as payment for protecting us from those monsters!"_

If there was ever a time that Maui's heart could stop for longer than a second, now was it. He felt himself get cold as the memories came back to him of what happened the night before he decided to turn into a human.

Oh gods, of all the things that had to happen to make this even more difficult for him, it had to be because a certain cheapsake that he stole from had to show up on the island on his last day as a human. And how many were coming? Nineteen? Who else would recognize him?! It didn't matter how much scarring had happened to him or how much else of him had changed because they would recognize him in a heartbeat! There was no way they would be stupid enough to think he was someone else, unless a miracle could happen.

Moana turned around to face her friend with a smile but then frowned in concern when she saw how troubled he looked and hurried off to who knew where. "I'll be right back." She told Sina and hurried after her companion with Pua close behind.

"Is something wrong?" Moana asked Maui as soon as she caught up to him. "You seem troubled by something."

Maui hesitated and turned around, but he could not bring himself to just shake his head and continue on like nothing happened. Instead he looked out to the ocean and tried to figure out why on earth he was brought to Motonui of all places if he was going to go on this massive guilt trip and face a more than likely enraged Chief from another island. One word was all that was needed to be said in order for everything to come undone if he was present for the event.

It all just built up into a frusterated anger that he was struggling to contain. He had no idea what it was that he wanted now and he had to be denied one more day because fate had to be a magnificent jerk to him.

Moana herself couldn't think of exactly what would upset the man before her (especially if he couldn't flat out say it). "You would let me know though, right?" She asked. Whatever was going though his mind was all too clear in his eyes and whatever it was, it was causing him a great distress.

She could only watch as he opened his mouth as if to say something, but when he remembered that he couldn't, he could only turn around and walk away. She watched as he briefly ran his fingers through his hair with one hand and pulled it up for a few seconds before it dropped back down. However, it was long enough for Moana to notice something rather odd.

She had stopped paying attention to the man's scars a long time ago, but there was something about some of the few on his back that had changed. The scars used to look so horrendous and yet some of them were losing their discoloration and were looking closer to his natural skin tone now. The one hidden under his hair particularly looked less like a patch of an uneven, jagged terrain of flesh and was starting to look a little closer to the ones on the rest of his body.

Moana chose not to think on this and turned away as she wondered what could be done to help her friend. She had no idea that the man was heading to his fale and she would never learn that the moment he was inside, he would let out a violent series of voiceless yelling and cursing that would go unheard to all. All she knew was that if there had been a way to know what was troubling him, she would try to help him in a heartbeat.

* * *

 _She didn't recognize this part of the island. The rocks, the trees, the flowers, the plants–everything was different, yet the sand and the ocean looked the same._

 _Moana glanced at her surroundings as she tried to figure out what sort of dream this was. As she kept walking, she thought she heard a woman singing in the distance, so she hurried towards the source. When she finally got close enough and hurried around a large rock, she was met with a strange sight._

 _A woman garbed in white garments, and who had long flowing dark hair with a crown of flowers upon her head, sang as she danced knee deep in the ocean like Moana's grandmother did. What made the sight so strange was that a wave of water from the ocean had risen up to her chest and appeared to be dancing alongside her._

" _Ou mata e matagi," The woman sang as she gracefully waved her arms about. "Ou loto mamaina toa."_

 _Moana couldn't dare to stop the woman with her own questions. Instead she watched in awe as the woman and the wave of water danced together in harmony._

" _Manatu atu. Taku pelepele." The woman raised her arms in the air, but then the wave shifted out of sync and tilted at a strange angle._

" _I have heard much about you, young one." The woman suddenly spoke out to Moana._

 _Moana heard a strange cracking noise and she turned around to see that a fale similar to her own grandmother's appeared right behind her as if by some sort of divine magic._

 _Drawn to the fale, Moana walked towards it and pulled back one of the tapas so that she could enter it. Much like her grandmother's fale, the tapas were tapestries of gods and monsters, but each one was moving upon the surface as if they were alive. From the creation of the world, to the great eel that lead to the coconut tree, they replayed their own stories for Moana to watch._

 _But then, as if they sensed her presence, the characters all stopped moving on the tapas. All except one figure that was crouched in front of a rock with his hands over his eyes as he rocked back and forth on his feet. Moana walked to this one and when she got close enough, the figure sprang up to reveal himself as a young child before he ran off to the side of his tapa, disappeared, and then reappeared in the next one. She watched as he cupped a hand to his mouth to call out for someone as he walked around but then noticed the eight eyed bat that was in front of him._

 _He moved as if he noticed something behind the creature and when he yelled at it, something small quickly fell out from behind it and landed on top of the child's head._

 _It was a small coconut crab no bigger then the child's own head, though he still seemed to require wearing a specific protective shell before he could develop his own._

" _Is that–?" Moana realized that the crab looked more than familiar to her, having seen a larger version of him more than once. If the crab was who she thought it was, then did that mean that the child was who she thought he was?_

 _The boy laughed as he took the crab off his head and lifted him up into the air for one minute. Even the crab seemed to be laughing in joy as he was held up in the air before the boy set him back down. Moana continued to watch as both the younger versions of Maui and Tamatoa hurried off to play and search for treasures hiding within the other tapestries._

" _If only I had seen what was to come." The woman's voice lamented as if it were right beside Moana. When Moana turned around to try to find it, all the images had vanished off the tapas, save for one where a much larger version of the crab now bore a dark grin as he told something to the boy who was now grown up into the version of himself that Moana knew best. She watched as the demi-god's teeth began to grit down in anger while the crab moved closer and closer towards him and continued to say whatever he had to say until he towered over him._

" _Instead a cycle of revenge has begun." Moana turned to try to find the voice, but instead she saw another tapa with the crab and the demi-god. Except this time it took a dark turn as an enraged Maui was shown ripping off one of Tamatoa's legs with a large hook with all the force that he could summon up. Moana could only stare in horror as the limb came off and the crab let out what should have been an agonized scream while Maui seemed to come to his senses and realized what he had done in equal wide eyed horror._

" _Why would you show me this?!" Moana turned around to try to find the woman. When she couldn't find her, she hurried outside to see the woman standing near the ocean instead of within it. Now that she was facing Moana, the girl could she that she looked strangely like her own mother and yet not quite. Her mother did not have the same vibrant green colored eyes that this woman had._

" _I chose not to interfere with current events as what has happened has been of his own choosing. Yet something has changed and I will not be able to reach you in time to stop what is to come." The woman apologized._

" _What are you talking about?!" Moana demanded as she threw her hands out. "Does this have something to do with Maui's missing constellation? I'm only seeing images, but they aren't enough! I don't know what Maui and Tamatoa's falling out has to do with any of it!"_

 _The woman could only turn to the ocean as a pillar of water rose out of it. "So long as you are by the ocean or within it, it will protect you from a certain danger." She held her hand out towards the pillar of water, which moved closer towards her. "If you stray too far from it, you will meet a terrible fate." She turned back to Moana. "Heed your grandmother's words, my child–appearances can be very deceiving, so trust with your heart. Only you and you alone will have the power to end it all."_

" _I don't understand!" Moana cried out in frustration. "I can't be by the ocean when I am needed to be in the village! How does that help me?! And what is it that must end?!"_

 _A hand grabbed Moana's arm in a painful manner and she felt herself be pulled towards the fale, but the fale had vanished and instead the hand pulled her as far from the ocean as possible. Moana tried to look back to see who grabbed her, but instead there was nothing but darkness to greet her before it swallowed her whole._

" _Remember my words, Moana." The woman called out one final time. "Remember who you truly are."_

* * *

As Moana tossed and turned in her slumber, Tui got up and headed outside to get some much needed air.

"Just a few more days." He reminded himself as he ran a hand over his face as he faced the mountains and the forested area that was behind the village. "I won't even have to tell her. The last thing I need is to add onto the stress and–"

He heard a strange rumbling sound off in the distance that made him stop what he was doing. It was a strange sound that was somewhere far off, but not close enough to be anywhere near the village and it was too dark to tell where it was coming from.

He heard it again and this time he detected that it was coming from somewhere near the northeastern side of the island. He shut his eyes to try to focus on the sound and he could have sworn he heard another faint sound, like a stick cracking in half. No it was like many sticks were cracking in half.

He paused for a moment and waited in anticipation when the sounds ceased. Should he alert someone to go get help or wait to see if he was imagining things? He opted for the latter and waited for a long time, yet nothing happened.

"Perhaps it was just my mind playing a trick upon me." Tui tried to reassure himself, but he was not entirely convinced. He needed to take a group out to where he thought he heard that sound, but he would have to be careful about it. He didn't want to cause any panic amongst his people if something was amiss and he was already developing a bad feeling in his guts.

* * *

The next day, everyone was ahead of schedule or had just managed to make ends meet in time to have a little more free time. Even Moana found that she didn't have much to do besides help the children with their dancing and oversee the final preparations, but she couldn't help but wonder about the dream. She wondered if perhaps her grandmother would be able to tell her.

"Moana!" Her father called to her as she finished the dance lesson with the children and she turned to see him approach her. "I see that you have done a fine job thus far." He smiled at her. "It has been difficult but I am glad to see that you have pulled through."

"Thank you father!" Moana beamed with delight.

"I'm going to be exploring certain parts of the island for a bit." Tui told her. "In the meantime I think you have more than earned some time to yourself. So long as I see you come home by sundown." He added.

"I will!" Moana smiled.

"One more thing." Tui added. "Just be careful alright?"

"Yes!" Moana waved and didn't think too much about her father's words as she watched her father walk towards a small group of men and women before she turned back to her students.

"Are you sure you won't tell her?" One of the women asked Tui as they headed towards the mountains and forests. "It would be a good part of her training if your hunch is correct." She pointed out as she examined her spear.

"The last thing I need is to raise alarm amongst my people." Tui confessed to her as he allowed his happy masquerade to drop. "I don't know what it is that I had heard, but I fully intend to investigate before we take action. I want as much of the island explored as possible before it is time to head back."

"Suppose it was just one of the gods having a bit of fun." One of the men laughed.

As Moana finished her lesson, she walked off as Pua joined her again and she tried to think of what else could be done to occupy her time when she felt a hand grab her wrist. For one second she recalled the dream and the mystery hand, but when she turned to see a certain friend, she smiled in relief. "Oh, guess what?!" She exclaimed. "Father gave me some time off today starting right now!" She looked at him again to see if anything had changed besides the scarring, but the only thing that was different was the green lavalava he wore when he first came to the island.

Knowing that Moana had free time pleased Maui a little bit as this was perhaps the only chance he would get to bring her out into the ocean before it was too late. He let go of her hand and began heading towards the secret entrance to the cave.

"Where are you going?!" Moana asked as Maui made a gesture to follow her. She obeyed and wondered if he was going to lead her to the cave for another lesson.

* * *

"So what will you teach me this time?" Moana asked as Maui pushed her boat back into the water again. To her confusion, he paused in his task and pointed to the waterfall with a smile. She titled her head in confusion at this, but when he handed her the oar, she then realized what he had in mind.

"You mean–?" Moana couldn't believe this. "You're actually going to let me go out into the ocean?!"

When her friend nodded in confirmation, Moana felt her heart begin to race. Was she truly going to go back onto the water after all these years without anyone to stop her? "You're not joking with me are you?" Moana asked. "You're not going to stop me at the last minute and–" Maui tossed Moana the oar and she quickly reacted by grabbing it before it could fall to the ground.

She stared at the oar, which now felt as much as a part of herself as her own arm. "I'm actually going to go out onto the ocean." She whispered in awe. She let out a laugh and hurried to the boat to push it out into the water. "Are you coming Pua?" She turned to the pig, but Pua shook his head and stayed as far from the water as possible as he wasn't exactly ready to join his human friend out on the ocean just yet.

The moment the boat was completely in the water, Moana didn't stop pushing until she was knee deep in water and she could hop upon it. Maui immediately hurried to catch up and get on the boat at the moment the girl took the oar and began to paddle towards the waterfall since he knew that she would probably try to go off without him in her excitement (not to mention he still felt compelled to watch over her as the last thing he wanted was her dad to get a heart attack if he wasn't by her side).

Moana didn't stop paddling and she only briefly acknowledged that Maui had joined her and was sitting a little farther up on the boat now. She had become so focused that the moment she saw a flash of red pop out of the canoe part of the boat, she almost wanted to let out a scream and drop the oar.

The flash of red was only Heihei, who somehow wondered all the way into the cave and was stuck in the large compartment inside the canoe. He tilted his head in confusion at Moana, but she quickly grabbed him as carefully as she could and gently tossed him across the water.

"Sorry, but maybe another time Heihei!" Moana apologized as the rooster flapped his wings until he had landed right at the shoreline beside an amazed Pua. She turned around to get the oar and started paddling closer towards the waterfall while her passenger shot an amused smirk at the bird.

Moana didn't stop paddling and not even when the boat finally broke through the waterfall that poured water over her. It was only when she could finally see nothing but the blue sky and the ocean ahead of her did this dream truly begin to feel real, and yet she still kept paddling so that she could get as far away from the island as possible. She only briefly looked back to see how close she was to the village and began paddling the boat away from it until she could finally get up to free the sail so that the wind could catch it and allow the boat to glide through the water at a faster pace.

Excited to see the wind blowing against the sail, Moana became lost in the moment as she hurried to paddle the boat farther out as it went across the water. Gradually the waves ahead of her got bigger, but the boat was able to surpass each one, which also gave her a rush of adrenaline as she went over and up each one and she felt her insides roll around in excitement.

Finally the largest wave came and it was the one that marked the difference between staying within the reef and going completely out into the ocean. She held her breath as it came towards her and she prayed that her boat would make it. It had to, it was built for this very purpose! Slowly the wave came and just when the boat was close enough, it shot upward as if it could take Moana into the sky and in those few seconds she knew what it was like to be a bird. Seconds later the boat went over the wave and came crashing down with a tremendous splash.

Realizing what she had just done, Moana got up and turned around to see the last of the wave vanish to reveal that she was now facing the island that she had grown up in with only a reef between the two of them. There was no ground or shallow water below her, but the wood of the boat and the ocean holding it upright. The wind was blowing against her and the boat but it felt comforting instead of annoying.

She finally felt free with nothing to hold her back this time.

Thrilled at what she had accomplished, Moana let out a breathless laugh as she threw her arms out and just let it all her excitement come out in her joyous outburst. She took it all in–the scent of the ocean, the feeling of moving without actually walking, the sun down upon her and the sound of the waves–it was all that she wanted and more.

Meanwhile Maui just smiled and watched Moana as she was caught up in her excitement. He had no desire to try to disrupt her because not only was he trusting her to take over the boat by herself, but because that pure joy on her face was a wonderful sight to behold. She was following what was in her bloodline for many generations–something that had to be contained for way too long–and just seeing that she was truly meant to be out on the ocean made him feel a little proud that he was able to help her accomplish her dream.

He wasn't the only one who was happy for her though. Only one person on the island saw Moana's boat and she knew without a doubt that Moana was on it, but she didn't try to stop her granddaughter in any way.

Tala beamed as she caressed the pendant part of the necklace around her neck. The blue shell and the gray spiral was a perfect reflection of the ocean that Moana was now a part of. "Thank you for listening to my prayers." She thanked the gods for finally granting Moana's deepest wish.

Had Tala been given even a hint of what was to come–had she been aware of the long chain of events that first began the night before, or what would happen when Moana would return to the island–had she known exactly what would be at stake, she would have called out for Moana and yelled at her to not be out on the waters for too long. Had she told Moana to come back before the sun would be low enough to change the colors of the sky to darker hues on one side of the world while turning it to lighter hues on the other, then she would have had the earliest and maybe only possible chance to prevent what was to come.

Instead Tala smiled and returned back to her fale, unaware that the powers of fate would soon come crashing down upon them all like a great wave.

* * *

 _ **Sha, la, la, la, my oh my, look at the boy**_ **–oh wait that doesn't count this time.**

 **Its funny how there are things I've considered tying into the story and then I'm all 'Ok yeah, totally doing that after all then' and the end result makes Maui suffer even more than he needs to. On the other hand the water fight was my personal favorite of the scenes to write out in this chapter.**

 **One of the things I'm annoyed about in the original film is what the heck was the deal with Maui and Tamatoa and why the latter's leg got torn off, in addition to the fact that Tamatoa knew exactly what Tala must have told Moana. Ironically I was working on a 'what if' fan fic about Tamatoa's past before this one and some of those ideas have made a cameo here so far.**

 **So I've done five or so chapters this January, but I need to slow it down as I don't want to ruin the quality of this story. I actually need to go back and edit some chapters that REALLY need it and rushing these chapters out may of had something to do with that. Because of how important the next few are, I may need to limit myself to three or even two chapters a month (and trust me, these will be the good chapters. I've been looking forward to them for a reason).**

 **So I got some interesting news for those of you who wanted this fan fic to have a little more ship tease involved. I will be doing a special one shot called 'Ocean's Duet' and it can be regarded as canon to this story if you want it to (and it would take place during this chapter), so keep your eyes out for that. And now this way I can make all my readers happy while giving something exclusive to the shippers. I'm STILL holding to my rule of no full on romance until Moana is of age in that one shot, but hopefully what I can provide will be good enough... for now.**

 **Anyway, I need to see how the princesses are holding up.**

-*?*-

"You should probably hurry it up before Rapunzel goes insane." The writer watched from the shadows as Mulan cautioned three familiar looking Disney characters while she and the other three princesses were still trapped in the well designed and rather heavy cage.

And who was outside the cage ready to help them?

"Ok, on the count of three!" Hercules cautioned as he, Wreck-it-Ralph, and Maui were crouched down at the bottom of the cage. "One. Two. THREE!" They all lifted the cage up long enough for the girls to escape before tossing it aside.

"Oh thanks a lot you guys!" Belle sighed in relief. "I was worried someone wouldn't come to help us in time!"

"And that's my cue to leave." The writer decided. "But first... HEY!" She quickly popped out of the shadows and alerted the Disney characters to her.

"I totally ship you with Elsa from _Frozen_!" The writer pointed to Ralph, who was insanely confused at this.

"I have something similar to say about you guys, but not all of my readers want to hear it again!" She pointed at Moana and Maui.

"Also one last thing!" She pointed at Belle. "The live action remake of your movie better be good! I've been looking forward to it for ages!"

And with that, the writer ran for her life before any of them realized that she was part of the reason why they were all there to begin with.

"Wait a minute." The writer looked around in confusion as she realized someone was missing. "Where did he go?"

"Hey Tamatoa?" She called out, but there was no response. "Uh... _fish dinners_!" She yelled out the part of his song that was now a meme on YouTube. Still no response.

"Oh, this isn't good." She gulped.

 **(Also, for those of you who cared about who was who while playing Super Smash Brothers, Rapunzel was Yoshi, Mulan was Link, Belle was Robin, and Moana was Greninja.)**


	8. The hand of fate

"Hello?" The writer called for Tamatoa as she held her sword out. "You know I saw this video about crabs molting and it was actually pretty cool. You know you could just take your stuff off the old shell and attach them onto the new one."

No response came out... at least for a moment.

"I WON'T DO IT!" The crab's voice echoed out.

"Ah, I knew it!" The author tried to look for the voice but couldn't see where he was. "Ok... review response time then!"

 **jhalpernkitcat:** The real deal is better. I can stop talking about eating crabs if it bugs you. Oh lord it is not easy to write out exposition as Mini Maui–I don't think he could convey all he needed to that easily. And the water fight was fun :) I love it when the two can have fun.

I've seen that concept art, but I'm trying to keep the continuity that I started in this story before I saw it. Its still pretty horrifying (what the heck happened there, jeez Disney!) I also think Tamatoa was told something similar by his own grandmother and if he chose to ignore it or if something happened to make him claim that it was a lie, then that just makes his likely backstory all the more tragic. And yeah, I heard those lyrics which makes things interesting for what is soon to come in this story.

I had to write that bit with Tala because she would want to witness Moana get that moment she longed for. Also yes... TOTALLY not suspicious noise. *laughs*

Also, in response to your review for 'Ocean's Duet' I appreciate that you read it, even if you like the two as just friends. You are right with the parallel, though I think Tala could also be the grandmother from the original tale in some ways. Also I think The Rock was a good choice, seeing that Maui is part of his heritage and he's referred to as a sort of hero in real life. (Also, maybe shark–Maui tickling someone will happen again... or maybe he already did in the dream. I can't take that form seriously, but the tickling thing was too cute to resist. )

 **ChangelingRin:** *laughs* Thanks! Hopefully I topped myself in this chapter!

 **Child of Music and Dreams:** *Chuckles* Also, in response to your review for

'Ocean's Duet' that was cute but what's a stoat sandw–*looks it up* oh its a Harry Potter meal! Huh, never tried that before. Are you tempting me with food again?

 **Tamatoa's response to Child of Music and Dreams: Would you have rather I done something a lot worse to the girl and her companions? *snaps one of his claws* I could always eat her.**

 **OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon:** Argh, I thought I would have that joke ready by now... it would be... two demi-gods and a bad guy walk into a bar... wait, let me save that for later. Anyway I could see those two have a wonderful friendship built off being mischievous or pranking each other.

 **Tamatoa's response to OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon: *somewhere in the dark* Don't you dare ruin this for me! You have no idea what I'm up to!**

 **Jazzy–Monster-5955:** Aw, I kind of pictured that for a moment it was cute :). And *sings* _What can I say except you're welc-"_ Wait are those cookies for me or to the big guy? *accepts cookies*

 **Tamatoa's response Jazzy–Monster-5955: *snatches cookies away with a claw, no matter who they were meant for* I'll take those, thank you. *HolyMaiden24 is not happy***

 **Subuku no Jess:** Uh... I don't think he would do a full song. Though I have an idea where he would get close to singing it in his face. I don't know if Tamatoa will go 'Tamatoa-zilla' on us or not just yet. Also you are welcome about the platonic thing, though the only thing Tamatoa took so far was the hook and Maui's voice–nothing else. Oh, also Mulan was winning in that game and Moana was close behind. And I'll try to stay safe, but considering my track record in my other fics, I–

 **Tamatoa's response to** **Subuku no Jess: *Pops out of who knows where in bioluminescent form and scares the pants off the author* Oh you** _ **do**_ **, do you?! *grins in a flirtatious manner* I'm going to keep that in mind.**

 **Enigma:** *overly excited* VIRTUAL CUPCAKES FOR EVERYONE?! CUPCAKE PARTY TIME! Also yeah I see your point.

 **Tamatoa's response to Enigma: Oh you can come over anytime... or maybe you won't have to wait for long.**

 **-TAMATOA'S LAIR-**

EVERY single reader of this fan fic was in the cave eating delicious cupcakes as HolyMaiden24 tried to make the bar joke. It was dark and EVERYONE had bioluminescent paint on them since it was supposed to be the most epic of cupcake parties. Or at least as close as you can get if the owner of the place was a giant crab that towered over them and had little room to lay down for that same reason.

"Two demi-gods and a bad guy walk into a bar." HolyMaiden24 began. "They all joke about adaptations and how much get changed. Both demi-gods agree that no matter what, they are more heroic than the bad guy. The bad guy counters by saying 'At least the worst I did was destroy a building, nearly ruined my friendship with the kid, AND I had a video game movie that wasn't awful! Didn't you both do things that Disney couldn't adapt, like a dad who cheated with your mom behind his wife's back, or that you mistreated one of your possible wives in one of the many myths about you?'"

There was a very awkward silence at this revelation.

"NEEEEEEERRRRD!" One reader screamed out.

"That's the best I can do!" HolyMaiden24 protested. "And you tend to find weird things in mythology when–"

"Ok, that's enough." Tamatoa (also in bioluminescent form) stepped forward. "You took it too far and now you ruined their childhoods. I hope you can live with yourself."

Tamatoa made to turn around and leave. "Oh shoot, I almost forgot!" He turned back and, after carefully looking at the readers, found the one he was looking for. "You're coming with me, babe!" He made to carefully pick up Subuku no Jess and set the reader on his shell, but not before giving them a flirtatious wink. "Want to go scare the scales off a few monsters as a date?" He asked before he hurried out of his cave and into the darkness of Lalotai with the lucky reader riding on him.

"HEY YOU CAN'T FLIRT WITH MY READERS!" Holymaiden24 protested but it was too late. "I CAN'T SINGLE ONE OUT WHEN... aw nuts." She sighed as a few jealous readers shot her an annoyed look. "You guys'll probably hate me by the end of this chapter anyway."

* * *

 **If there was EVER a time I wish I had a map of Motonui, this would be one of those times. Also you can tell that I REALLY love giving visuals in readers minds when I get to certain moments that need it the most.**

 **Also I find it amusing that no one is asking about the design of the tattoos for Maui's human form or why his... err... skirt of leaves (?) changed into a real lavalava.**

 **I had the two smiling faces on his shoulder mirroring each other to reflect his trickster nature, his easygoing nature, and the fact that there's more to him than the eye can see. The circle and the fish hook like patterns was a hint to his true identity as a warrior while the water is a nod to his origins in the ocean. The skirt changing thing... was due to magic. Yup, just magic.**

 **Ok, this was a chapter that I had to take time with. Here we go!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: The hand of fate**

"It had to be around here somewhere." Tui said to himself as he approached the location where he thought he heard the strange sounds from last night. If it was not anywhere near the village then it had to be somewhere on the other side of the island, beyond the hills and near the ocean. As he and the others searched the grounds, he tried to think of what could have caused such a commotion.

"Chief Tui?!" A man yelled out. "You might want to see this!"

Tui felt his heart stop for a moment as he raced towards the man's voice. He could hear the others following suit as the man continued to yell "Right here!"

"What did you find?!" Tui demanded as he found the man in a large clearing. However, as he approached the man, he saw that it wasn't a clearing at all and if it were then it would be because several trees had been knocked over. Well, not exactly–some remained upright, but there was still a strange pattern to the destruction that didn't make any sense.

"It continues all the way to the ocean!" The man pointed towards a trail of fallen trees as the others gathered around to observe the clearing.

"None of these trees are old enough to have fallen on their own." A woman bent down by one of the fallen trees where it had snapped in half. "This one is still too young."

Tui examined the area around him. If he had to make a guess, this clearing was at least five or six regular sized fales large in both width and length, but it could have easily been more. "Keep examining the area for anything suspicious or out of place!" Tui yelled as he hurried to follow the path of destroyed trees and plants that lead all the way to the ocean. When he saw what was on the other end, he had to stop in disbelief.

This area was very sandy and filled with rocks, but there was a huge indent in the sands and there were trees that appeared as if they had been uprooted and tossed clear across to different ends of the beach. Stranger yet was that the holes that were left behind in places of the trees were very deep as if whatever had gotten to them pulled them clear out, roots and all.

"What on earth?" Tui wondered out loud. There wasn't a storm last night and this was clearly not the work of a normal human being. He was tempted to say that perhaps a large ship had snuck onto the island, but that didn't seem possible as he couldn't think of any sort of ship that could have managed to go clear into the island by several hundred feet or so and break down so many trees that easily.

He looked around again until he noticed that there were some spaces in the ground where there were even more indents, though they were much smaller in comparison to the larger one. When he looked down into one of them, he saw that there was a strange shape about them, like the holes started out wide but then got to a small hole or indent at the very end. Some of them were shaped differently as if the maker had been dragged towards the ocean.

"What do you think?" A woman called out to Tui.

"Give me a moment!" Tui held a hand up as he backtracked and examined the pathway of fallen trees, or to be more specific, the ground around the trees. He could see more strange looking holes in the ground and they all went in a similar line to those in the sands.

"Is there a pattern of holes on that end of the clearing?" Tui pointed to the other side. A man went over to check and after a few minutes he yelled "Yes!"

Tui went back to the end of the clearing that was in the woods and looked around. The damage ended at this specific point, but why? What on earth could have caused so much destruction? If it was an invading tribe, they certainly left a strange warning for what was to come. Or was it something else?

Tui was afraid to find out what it was that caused this. Whatever it was that came from the sea and ended at this point was not a natural force of nature nor did it feel _human_. "Keep on the lookout for anything suspicious and don't tell the others in the village just yet!" Tui yelled to his group. "We need to keep searching this area for anything else that could hint at what happened here!"

"And you three." He pointed to a trio of women. "Examine the beach as carefully as you can and let me know if anything seems out of place."

"We will." One of the women nodded as she took up her spear.

* * *

It had nearly been an hour since Moana had sailed away from Motonui and while she hadn't gotten too far away, she could still see her island in the distance. Here was a spot where she and her companion could enjoy the ocean where there weren't as many waves to deal with and were things could be peaceful.

Occasionally Moana would help make the time easier by offering to sing songs passed down by her people for her companion, who allowed her to. At one point she recounted the tales of Matai Vasa, the earliest known Chief of her people and a man who was known to be quite courageous and wise as well as a great leader to his people. According to the tales, he was one of the best known wayfinders in history and was supposedly the one who lead his people to Motonui.

What she didn't know was that her companion had met the man in his life and he could confirm those stories to her. Matai Vasa wasn't the sort of man who wanted to head into danger for the fun of it like Maui did, but he was a lot more daring than most other humans (that and that he was a pretty fun guy to hang around with).

Moana had finally taken a break from sailing the boat ever since she first left the island and she moved away from the sail to face her companion, who seemed at ease out on the waters. She had taken a glimpse of him now and then during her sailing and she had seen that he seemed quite happy to be off the island for a brief time. He was clearly not one who could stay in one place for long, and though he stared out at the sea with happiness, he would also look up at the sky with a curious longing gaze.

As for Maui, he felt relieved to be finally off the island after three straight weeks. He wasn't sure if he ever stayed in one spot for that long, but it was nice to just be out on the sea again. However, he found himself wishing that he had his hook back and that he could take to the sky or even to the sea like he used to. It didn't feel right to be unable to have that ability for that long.

"Do you miss where ever it is that you come from?" Moana asked as she moved towards her companion and sat beside him. He looked at her for a second and then gave her a curious shrug and waved his hand in a strange manner.

"You know so much about me and yet I know so little of you that I don't even know your name." Moana confessed. "I knew you had to have experienced a lot before arriving to Motonui and that you may of had a lot of stories to share if you could." Honestly, it was really unfortunate that he wasn't able to share anything about himself that he couldn't demonstrate. There was so much to him already from what she had observed and yet she didn't even know his actual name.

"Maybe I could guess your name!" Moana realized with a grin. "If you give me a clue, then maybe I could–" But the man cringed and shook his head. "Wha–but why not?" Moana was stunned but the man shook his head again and held his face in one hand as he stared at the sky.

If Moana knew his name, it would raise suspicion on its own, but considering her concerns about why his constellation was missing, Maui knew that she would not take it well if she figured out the truth. And she would unintentionally make things much worse if he was not able to answer why he was in a mortal form until it was too late.

"Are you someone on the run then?" Moana wondered. "I mean I don't know what happened so I could only guess and–I'm sorry." She realized her error and she grabbed her arms and bowed her head in shame. "I'm being too nosey, but I really want to understand who you are. You turned against my father's words just to make this a reality for me." Moana gestured out to the sea as she looked upon it. "I can't think of anyone that brave or that reckless who could do that." She didn't see Maui shoot her a slightly offended look at her words. "Well, I mean besides my grandmother." She added.

"If I was not the daughter of a Chief or if I had been born into a different family, I would do this as often as I could." Moana began. "I would go out and explore as many islands as I could. I would try to go out as far as possible and see what else is in the ocean or if there were places that were far beyond my wildest dreams." She smiled. "Maybe that would be taking it too far if the space between islands are already far enough as they are."

"So, I want to say thank you." Moana turned to Maui. "Thank you for giving me this gift, even if it was just for one day. I will never forget it for as long as I live." She meant it with all her heart. Of all the gifts she had been given throughout her life, this one was now one of her dearest ones yet.

All Maui could do was turn his head to see the young girl who looked so radiant with her happiness and he wished that he could say how much he enjoyed his brief time with her too. Going off to help others and fight monsters was always exciting, but there were little moments like this that he rarely got. Moments where one could just hang out with someone and do something fun or just take in the things that most would take for granted.

It was true that he was still struggling as to whether or not he had been too hasty about the turning into a mortal thing. There were times where he thought about what would happen if he did succeed but those thoughts were uncertain until recently.

If he had been mortal, he would do anything in his power to make sure that the girl could become the best Chief known to mankind, but he would also make sure that she was granted more days out on the sea instead of keeping it a secret. If he had his voice back, he would support her on her behalf and he would make absolutely sure she would know all there was to wayfinding that he couldn't convey through gestures so that her old man would stop worrying and let her live out her life.

And dying of old age _would_ be a lot better than whatever unsavory story the mortals would tell instead (and there were a few versions already that made him cringe whenever he thought about them). He would rather that his life ended on a high note than at a bad one.

He wished he knew _what_ it was that could make the change permanent. So far he had bonded pretty well with Moana to the point that she felt like a genuine friend–someone he could trust and who knew how to brighten a person's day–so now it was a matter of what she had to do to put an end to this. She wanted to get to know him (even though he was pretty sure she saw enough of him to have an idea of what he was like) yet she made no indication that she wanted him around. What exactly was it that she had to say or do in order for him to turn human for good? Did she have to just ask him to stay on her island?

Moana noticed how low the sun was getting at that point. If she made it to the island in time, then the sun would not set for awhile yet. "It looks like we need to head back pretty soon." She noted with regret. She didn't want this time out at sea to end all too soon but she had to go back before the others started to worry.

"We better hurry." She informed her companion, who hoisted himself back up and held his hand out to Moana. Moana observed his hand for a moment and was reminded how how it was large enough to grab her head (nowadays it just seemed really funny to her). When she lifted her hand and was seconds away from touching his own, she thought about the contrast between the two of them yet again and how her own looked so small. She shook her head and finally placed her hand in his own and as he gently helped her get back on her feet, his other hand cupped under her arm to give her more support. She turned her head and was about to thank him when she looked at the hand under her arm. His fingers had curled around her arm and it was so amusing because it was like she was a little kid again since his hand covered up a huge portion of her arm.

Her arm...

A memory came to her. This hold was oddly familiar to her because it was like he was aware of his own strength and was trying not to snap her arm like it was a twig. There was a hold similar to this, where the hand felt large and there was a careful gentleness about it. The only time that ever happened was when–

" _I hope you get to go back out on the ocean, kid. It likes people like you."_ That warm friendly voice from the past came back to her, followed by his laughter that echoed in her mind.

Moana continued staring at the hand that held onto her. When she realized she was staring at it for too long, she shook her head and gently moved out of her companion's hold before she went back to the sail.

Slowly and slowly the island approached and she kept her place at the sail, yet her eyes continued to gaze to the man sitting on the boat in front of her.

The man who saved her all those years ago felt so huge when she hugged him and her companion looked as if he could of had a similar body type. Of course the man who saved felt like a giant to her nine year old self and this man didn't seem as large, but he might as well have been to the currently teenaged Moana. Even what she could have barely seen of her savior almost matched up to the appearance of her voiceless friend. The way her savior joked and talked was so specific that she had a feeling that the man before her would have also spoke like him since the personality seemed to fit him.

Finally there was the fact that her savior had supported her in her desire to go back out onto the ocean and the man before her did the same. He seemed more than willing to help her with this after she shared her story to him.

Could it be possible that this man was the one who saved her all those years ago? Had the ocean answered her wish to see him again? She knew that without his voice there was no guarantee, but he had to answer her one way or another.

One person tried to think over the other's identity while the other tried to figure out how the other could finally turn him human before it was too late. They were lost in their thoughts and soon the boat managed to reach the reef around Motonui. The sun was getting lower at one end of the sky and in an hour's time it would be at the point when the colors of one end of the sky would get dark while the other would lighten up.

It was at this point that Moana knew that she had to stop being afraid. All she needed was one response to indicate that her companion was the one who saved her after all. She didn't care who or where he came from, or what he had gone through, she _had_ to know. If he was the one who saved her, then she owed him big time. If not then it didn't matter because of what he had done for her.

"There's something I need to know." Moana began and when she saw that her companion was looking up at her, she continued. "I find it strange that you wanted to help me right after I told you what happened to me all those years ago. I was unable to see back then, but I'm not stupid. I can put pieces together if I can see them right in front of me."

Her friend seemed a little taken by surprise at what she had to say if the way his eyes widened was any indication.

This was it–now or never. "I need you to answer me this as honestly as possible. I don't want you to lie to me because I will pick up on it and I need to know the truth."

Moana took one final breath and asked the burning question on her mind. "Are you the one who saved me when I was a chi–"

What happened next was unexplainable or was perhaps some trick of fate. As if the sun had been thrusted right at her face, Moana's eyes were exposed to a sudden brightness that made the world turn white.

Moana let out a cry of fear as she found herself blinded by the painful brightness and flinched away to one side as she accidentally pulled the sheet and felt the boat tilt at an off angle.

Even if it never came out, Maui still yelled out ' _MOANA!'_ as he made to get up and stop the girl from going overboard as she held her hands over her eyes. He caught her just in the nick of time and was about to grab the sheet to change the angle of the boat when he saw a wave come towards them.

There was no way he could pull the sheet in time.

Moana tried to open her eyes, but there was so much pain and a repressed memory came to the surface of when she had been blinded as a child. She could feel that panic come back and she could have sworn that it was a kakamora that was holding onto her. "No!" Moana panicked with a cry as she tried to pull away from the tight grasp, unaware of the wave that was coming towards them.

The wave came down upon them with a crash and when the boat tipped over too far, Maui lost his grip on Moana and she fell into the ocean.

Moana swam underwater in a panic as she felt herself get swept away. In the meantime, Maui frantically looked around to try to find Moana and when he did, he did not hesitate to jump into the ocean after her.

The pain in Moana's eyes died away as she opened them to see the ocean around her as well as the dangers of the ground in the form of many rocks and coral reefs. When she looked one way, she could see her slightly blurry looking companion swimming towards her and she hurried up to the surface to take a breath. The moment she had a chance, she swam as fast as she could towards him but her vision was still trying to get back into focus. The moment it finally did, she saw another wave was about to crash down upon the man. He himself was aware that it was coming and swam as fast as he could.

"LOOK OUT!" Moana screamed, but it was too late and not only did the wave swallow him up, but she found that the currents sucked her right back into the water and it barely gave her enough time to take a breath.

She found herself being tossed in the water and was unable to locate her companion as she was taken deeper and deeper into the water and towards the bottom where rocks and coral formations rose high enough to pose a threat to those who were unlucky enough to get so far down. Moana wasn't aware of the coral she was about to approach, but when she felt one tear through her lower leg, she found herself unable to prevent the scream that came out.

She already lost too much air and she struggled to try to swim back up, but it was hopeless and she felt the pressure of the water against her body as it demanded to have air. Moana's body soon could not take it anymore and she found herself opening her mouth underwater again against her will.

As she felt the water enter her body, she only had enough time to see her companion desperately try to swim as fast as he could towards her. She could only thrash about as the water filled her insides until her world turned dark.

* * *

The first thing she became aware of was that she was coughing up water and had only one second to open her eyes to see the color blue before she shut them again.

Moana took a few moments to compose herself before she could even dare open her eyes.

She almost drowned this time. Or maybe she did. She didn't know what happened to her, but all that she knew was that she was soaking wet, laying on wet sand, and was no longer under water. Also there was a nasty stinging sensation on her leg that hurt to no end.

Moana was so terrified about what had happened that she was shuddering where she lay. She was also afraid to open her eyes and see nothing but darkness after that strange whiteness blinded her. She could sense that someone was nearby when she reached a shaking hand out, she could feel the now familiar hold of a hand much larger than her own. It still had the gentle grip but this time it was shaking too as if the owner was getting over his own shock.

She felt her companion help her sit back up and she pressed one hand against one of his arms to prop herself up. She was terrified to open her eyes and not see his face–she did not want to relive that memory once again. Yet when she felt one of his hands gently rub up and down one of her arms in a reassuring manner, she finally opened her eyes.

Moana saw that her water drenched companion let out a sigh of relief, but there was a deep concern as well as a ghost of a fear in his eyes. Clearly he was terrified as to what had almost happened to her and the relief died away to a pang of guilt before he finally moved away from her. She was about to plead for him to come back when she realized something odd about their surroundings.

There was a wall of water behind her companion. Not a waterfall, but it was as if the world tilted and the water was in front of her instead of below her.

Moana looked around and sure enough she was surrounded by water while sitting on a spot of wet sand and rocks. She could see though it and see coral and a few fish and when she looked above, she saw the water extended high over their heads. There was also an opening large enough to reveal the sky that was due to change its colors pretty soon.

Was this a dream? Did she really die and go onto an afterlife? None of this should have been possible.

"Wha–?" Moana couldn't believe what she was seeing as she looked down at the barrier of water again. She looked at her companion, who seemed oddly calm about the situation and seemed more interested in her reactions. "What's going on?" She asked before an odd thought struck her. "You aren't doing this are you?"

The man gave her an odd look of disbelief before shaking his head no and pointed to something behind her. Confused, Moana turned around to see that a wave of water escaped from the barrier and was heading towards her. For one moment she thought the spell would break and that they would be consumed by the water, but the barrier stayed exactly as it was.

The wave of water stopped a few feet from Moana and as she watched, it tilted at an angle. She then realized that this wave was acting like the one from her dream with the woman. The wave that came from out of the ocean itself.

But wait a minute–if this wasn't a dream, then what if the stories were true?

"Did... you save me?" Moana asked.

The wave nodded. A thought came to Moana and she asked almost shyly "Are you the ocean?"

The wave nodded again.

Moana let out a small gasp. "You... you're alive." She then fully realized what was going on. "You're the ocean and you're alive."

The wave seemed to ripple a little as it reached to Moana and dropped down on her head in a playful manner as if it wanted to pat her head. It only made her head wet, but she didn't care.

"All the stories about the ocean," Moana struggled to get up and stand on her injured leg while the wave moved away from her. "My grandmother was right." She was in awe at this new information. "You can hear us when we talk to you. And when we dance in you, you are dancing with us." Maybe not like in the dream, but it might as well have been.

She stood up to face the wave that represented the ocean and reached a hand towards it. In response, the wave moved over and rested part of itself on the palm of Moana's hand as if accepting a handshake. In that moment, and fear Moana had gained after nearly drowning had vanished in an instant.

As impressive as the sight was to Maui, it wasn't the bond that was developing between the ocean and Moana that was on his mind. He had a sneaking feeling something like this would of happened when it came to someone like her, but what amazed him was why and how the ocean knew that Moana was going to drown. Why did it react the way it did to this one mortal out of all those who could have easily died in its hold?

The wave gently lead Moana to the wall of water and she followed it with a slight limp. She found herself less afraid of the water then she had been not that long ago as she watched the fish swim in front of her and she reached a hand out until it broke through the water.

"I can't be dreaming this." Moana whispered. "Not if I can feel you."

She felt compelled to enter the ocean. The wave even seemed to beckon to her as in invite.

And without warning, she took a deep breath and jumped into the water.

She could feel the change in the water and no longer was it a tempest, but it was calm and it felt as if it were embracing her. She could feel it gently brushing against her and when she opened her eyes, she could see herself floating within it as her hair rose up all around her in gentle waves.

Even if her leg still hurt and was bleeding, she chose to swim through the water and explore as much as she could while occasionally twisting around to see what else there was. Down in the ocean there was an ethereal beauty that couldn't be found in the world above and the light of the sun reflected upon the water and cause it to ripple and shine upon whatever it touched.

The moment she needed air, she popped her head into the barrier to take gulps of it before quickly remerging back into the water. She had no desire to stop any time soon and wanted to keep floating for as long as she could. She wanted to do the things that a human could not do upon land, like float above the ground and dance over it.

In fact that was almost what it looked like to the one who watched her from within the barrier. She looked as if she were dancing as she swam in the water with an almost natural grace that she didn't display that often. She almost looked like a water spirit or an ocean goddess when she was within the water.

The currents picked up Moana and guided her through the waters so that she wouldn't have to use her leg so much. As Moana realized what the ocean was doing, she smiled and allowed it to carry her around the barrier. She waved to get her companion's attention and she smiled when he turned around to wave back before she allowed herself to show off and flip forward in the water.

That's when Maui realized something. The ocean was what brought him to Motonui and not just out of accident; it remembered what happened when he saved Moana and it knew how much she loved it. Somehow it must have known that they needed to meet again and maybe it had a big reason besides helping the girl fulfill her wish.

 _Pretty crafty if you ask me._ He thought with a brief scowl at the ocean.

As if the ocean heard exactly what he thought, a burst of water shot right at him and sprayed him in the face. He did not expect it and he even found himself coughing out some of the water after he had flinched away from it. ' _Are you serious?!'_ He mouthed after he recovered from the shock.

Moana continued to swim in the ocean and around the barrier while occasionally taking breaths of air when she could. At one point she found herself turning to face her companion, who finally stood up and walked towards her until he was just a foot away from her.

One stood in the air and upon the ground and stared at the other, who was floating in the water and was at eye level with him. For once it seemed that it was the girl who was secretly a powerful being and not the man who was watching her. She truly looked as if she belonged to the ocean now then when she was on the boat as she floated in the water and her hair moved around her in gentle waves. Yet also in that moment, both of them seemed to be equals to each other, despite the obvious contrasts in appearances.

Moana took a moment to dunk her head forward to get more air before retreating back. She then reached out her hand with a smile and Maui couldn't help but return the gesture and accepted it. She half expected him to pull her out of the water when his hand bursted through and held onto her own, but he didn't and they just stared down to see that they were holding hands in the water.

Finally he himself took a deep breath and stuck his upper body into the water, where they only had a few seconds to look at each other under water. Moana almost wanted to laugh when his hair went backwards and then flowed out in front of his face before it settled back down, but the smile she had was more than enough to show what was on her mind. For those few seconds there really wasn't a need for her to use any words to convey how strange this time under the ocean had been or how incredible it was at the same time to her companion.

Finally Moana swam towards Maui and hooked her arms around him. He took that as the cue to take her out of the water before she needed air and he held her in his arms before taking her out of the ocean.

As her companion moved away from the wall of water, Moana took a breath and glanced back to see the wave reappear and wave to her. Moana couldn't help but move one of her arms so that she could wave back with a smile. The wave nodded as if satisfied before it retreated back into the water, which began to seep from the bottom of the barrier and reach towards their feet. That was definitely their cue to get ready to swim back up.

As Moana wrapped her free arm back around Maui, he realized that she was slightly touching his upper back as she had her arms around his neck. What was so odd was that the touch should have been painful, but it wasn't. Not anymore.

Instead the touch felt comforting.

* * *

At that point, the sun had gotten low enough that it wasn't ready to set, but the sky at one end of the world was getting dark. The other side was already turning into shades of pinkish orange and light blue.

Tui had yet to find anything strange upon the island besides the odd phenomenon from earlier. He was sure that he was being paranoid but he could not explain what had caused the damage without any logic behind it. What had come upon the shores of Motonui that could cause such a thing and what if it was somehow still here? What danger could it pose if that were the case?

"Anything?!" Tui yelled to his men as they walked up the path that would soon lead them back to the village.

"No I'm afraid not." One of them told him. "Or maybe thats a good thing."

"Provided that the others didn't find anything else." Tui muttered under his breath.

"Uh, Chief?" A woman called out. "There's a boat in the reef and it doesn't look like one of our own."

In a moment of panic, Tui hurried to the woman's side and she pointed to a spot down below where they could see a boat on the water. It was not a fishing boat, but it was the kind that was ideal for going out on the ocean and there was some sort of marking upon its sail, like a spiral.

"Could it be a visitor?" The woman asked as Tui continued to watch the boat and tried to figure out who it was that was on it and why it was heading to the island. The closer and closer it got, the more he could make it out until he recognized both passengers. Especially the one who was sitting at the front end while the larger one was at the sail.

Most of Tui's fears had vanished and were replaced with anger at the sight of the smaller passenger on the boat. He had a feeling he knew where that boat came from as well as why the boat was out on the ocean.

* * *

Moana waited until her companion got the boat completely on dry land in the cave before she got up to get off the boat, but the moment she landed in the sand, pain shot through her injured leg again and she let out a cry as she collapsed into the sand.

Moana hissed and took a breath of air as her companion approached her and knelt down to examine her leg. The wound wasn't horribly deep, but it was a pretty nasty gash and quite a bit of blood had come out. Still it could be treated in time for tomorrow, though there was no knowing if Moana would still be in pain or not if she used it for dancing.

"Its ok, I'm fine." Moana tried to reassure her companion as he examined it. "I can get it treated." He shook his head in disapproval and covered his mouth with his hand.

This was not good. There was no way either of them could hide this without a good excuse. Worse, this happened because he had been unable to save her and if the ocean hadn't been there, she would have been dead. He probably would have died too since by the time he would have reached the girl and got her to the surface, he himself would have drowned. His body didn't have the stamina it used to have to be able to pull that off. He wouldn't have cared if he died, so long as he got her back to safety, which was why the ocean acting the way it did had been a blessing.

' _What happened?'_ He mouthed to her as he looked her in the eye.

"Something bright got in my eye as if I looked into the sun." Moana tried to explain. "And then I couldn't see for a few seconds. I mean my eyes are normal now, but–" She grimaced with regret. "–I was terrified that it was happening all over again. The blindness, the drowning... it all came back and I–"

Maui put his hand on her knee to stop her before she could let the trauma get to her. Well no wonder she had been so terrified even after he managed to revive her–she was forced to relive that nightmare again. There was no way she would want to go back to the ocean after what happened–no sane person would.

Moana sighed as she put her hand over her companion's. She knew he was trying to comfort her and maybe he could sense what was going through her mind, but she could easily see how guilty he felt about what happened. "This was _not_ your fault." She tried to reassure him. "I was careless and I lost my composure. I'm the one whose to blame, not you."

"I don't know what happened, but I'm not going to let this get to me and change my mind about the ocean anytime soon." As Maui looked up at the girl, she smiled at him. "Next time I'll be a lot more careful about sailing on the ocean."

Her optimism felt so sudden and yet seeing that she wasn't going to back down so easily made Maui smile back in relief. It reminded him of why he liked this girl to begin with–stubborn, yes, but she was braver than most other humans and determined as heck to boot.

"There won't be a next time." The last voice either of them expected to hear echoed out in the cave.

Moana's eyes widened in horror and her heart came to a stop as she and her companion turned their heads to see Tui several feet away from them, along with a huge group of villagers–some of which were carrying spears and one person held a burning torch.

"I told you to never come here." Tui slowly began with a deep scowl as he walked towards Moana and Maui. "I told you not to get on a boat and I warned you that trust is something that is not so easily gained back. And yet I find you here going against everything that I had told you. Do you not understand what you have done?!"

Moana had no idea how to act or what to say as her worst fears came to life.

"And you!" Tui turned to Maui. "I gave you my trust as well! I expected you could keep my daughter safe and I had expected that you would obey my wishes, yet you allowed her to talk you into this! Do you not even feel remotely ashamed about that?!"

Even though he knew he was in hot water, Maui could only give Tui a flat look of annoyance. _'Do I look like I can answer you?!'_ He mouthed as he pointed to himself.

"I told you never to let my daughter get on a boat and yet I saw the both of you doing exactly that not too long ago!" Tui's voice raised. "Do you have any idea what could have happened out there?! To my only child?! What was going through your mind?!"

Neither of them dared try to answer. Especially considering what almost happened out on the ocean, including events that would not have been easy to explain.

"I'm beginning to wonder if there is a reason you came to this island." Tui continued as he recalled the sight of the ruined trees from earlier. "Perhaps you had intended to get close to my child and kidnap her for some dark reason. I try to avoid making enemies, but perhaps you are hiding a secret–"

"He wasn't trying to do that!" Moana protested in anger as she finally stood up to face her father. "I told him about my desire to sail and what happened to me all those years ago! He could have denied teaching me how to sail to prevent this from happening, and yet he didn't! I couldn't have made it out there on my own without his help!"

Tui felt his heart stop. "How long has this gone on?"

"Longer than you would think." Moana confessed. "If anyone is to blame, then its me. Its not his fault."

"So you told him the tale that I forbade you to tell–"

"It did happen!" Moana threw her hands out. "Why can't you believe me?! You say we are a peaceful island and yet you cannot deny that I couldn't see or that the one who saved me was not from this island! Danger can always come when we least expect it!" She took a few steps forward and when she felt the pain in her leg, she let out a hiss and a wince that alerted Tui to the distress and his eyes gazed downward to see the injury.

"What is that?" He demanded. "How did you get that injury? Was it from being out on the ocean?"

Moana cringed.

"Do you even realize how important tomorrow is for you?!" He demanded to her. "You are a representative of your island and it is expected that you will dance for Chief Hoani–"

"And why should that be important?!" Moana yelled in annoyance. "I am alive and I could do more besides dancing if I am unable to! I could sail to his island and spare him the visit and yet you want to keep me here instead! I love dancing and I know how much it means to us, but I can't do that forever! I want to be useful in other ways besides just saying my input and making calls to–"

"Because this is one of the earliest possible chances for you to find a future husband!"

The world stopped for Moana when she heard those words.

What?

Did she hear that correctly?

"Wh–what did you say?" Moana could barely let the words out.

"Hoani is coming with his younger brother, who is only a few years older then you in addition to a handful of his own men." Tui finally told Moana the thing he had intended to keep a secret from her ever since he let all of Motonui know about the visit. "One of your responsibilities as a leader to your people and to your family is to find a future husband who will not only aid you, but also continue the family line like I had to and my father before me."

Moana felt herself step back a few feet as this news sank in. "You have not shown any known interest in any of the men on this island, and I understand if they do not meet your approval, but eventually you will have to choose someone to marry. You can't delay this forever Moana." Tui warned her. "Otherwise I will one day have to select one for you."

"I'm not ready for courting, let alone marriage!" Moana protested. "I'm not an adult yet and my heart isn't something to give away that freely! And I've never even met Chief Hoani, let alone his brother! What if he is horrible?! What if they all are horrible?! I couldn't marry someone like that!"

Tui was getting annoyed. "I can't guarantee what sort of person this man will be like, but he will not be the last suitor to come your way. You have to grow up and accept reality. This isn't a tale where you can do whatever you please–life doesn't work that way. You have to accept responsibilities as part of your future as a Chief, even if they are ones that you hate!"

"I never asked to be a Chief in the first place!" Moana yelled in anger. "You think your word is always the right one but it isn't! You can't decide my future, who I can or cannot marry, and you have no right to decide what happens to me when you are gone! Maybe you and mother should have produced more children in case something like this ever happened! Or maybe you are just too afraid that I'll die like _he_ did because I love what you hate!"

The tension in the room was growing alarmingly fast, but now a strong blow had been dealt. All eyes watched to see how Tui would react now.

As his eyes burned in both fury and hurt, Tui made a strange gesture and two of the woman came over towards them. "Keep a tight hold on her."

"What?" Moana was confused by the command. "Father what are you doing?"

"Something I should have done a long time ago." He went over to get the torch from the man and everything clicked for Moana.

"NO!" Moana yelled as she ran to stop her father, but the two women caught her before she got close enough and she found herself unable to escape from their grasp. "No you can't! This is our heritage! You can't destroy them!" As her father accepted the torch, she tried to break free but it was no use as the women refused to let go.

"Its a heritage that has been a great danger to us, even when we have no use for it." Tui merely responded.

Moana felt herself about ready to cry. "Please!" She begged. "I promise I won't ever go out on the ocean again, just don't destroy the boats!" She couldn't lose this part of her identity and her people did not deserve this just because of her one day out on the sea. She would give anything to keep this from happening and she would even submit to her father's wishes if that was what it took. "Please!" She desperately begged again. "Anything–I'll stay here forever and never look at the ocean again! I won't even go to the other islands!"

Tui stopped for a moment as his daughter broke down into submission all too suddenly. Everyone could see all too well how much the boats meant to Moana and how deep her love ran that it shook some to their core.

"Please." Moana begged as she gasped for air and felt herself about ready to sob. "Father please don't do this. I promise I can be the daughter you want me to be, just don't take them away from us. Don't take away our heritage."

"Maybe this is going too far, Tui." One of the men who was a bit more sympathetic told Tui. "We may still need these boats."

Tui took a deep breath. "I'm not taking this risk ever again." He walked towards the boat that Moana loved above all the others and which she had rode upon not that long ago.

"NO!" Moana was now screaming as she realized all her pleas and her sacrifices were for nothing. "STOP!" She couldn't stop crying out. "FATHER STOP! SOMEONE PLEASE STOP HIM!" But her father didn't stop and the torch and its deadly flames was moving closer to the boat. No one dared make a move to come to her aid as they were too afraid to disobey their Chief.

But the one person who wasn't from Motonui did come to Moana's aid.

Just as Tui was approaching the boat, Moana's companion suddenly leapt up and, without warning, ran up to the Chief and punched him hard in the face before taking the torch from his grasp. Before anyone could react, he turned around and, with all his strength, hurled it right into the water where the flames died upon impact.

Moana stared in shock as she realized what just happened, as did quite a few others.

Tui felt as if his jaw had almost been torn clear off as he recovered and looked at the man who dared defied him despite the requests he had been given. Although Tui could hear some of his people coming towards him, his eyes were locked with the one who injured him.

As Tui locked eyes with the man before him, he almost felt afraid of him despite his own building anger. He had never seen this man be so angry and though his unusual appearance did not match his personality, it might as well have in this case. The way the man was panting like an animal, the way his brows were scrunched up in pure anger and the way his narrowed eyes burned at the Chief almost made him seem inhuman. It was only one small sample of how dangerous the demi-god trapped in the mortal man's body could be when he was pushed too far.

Fury wasn't even the right word for what Maui felt–it barely scratched the surface of how angry he really was. He knew he had no real place in the world of mortals or this family's issues but what Moana's father was about to do and how much it affected Moana was going too far. Maui knew that what he just did was one of the dumbest things he could have possibly done while stuck on this island, but he didn't care if it meant that he could prevent Moana's heart from breaking. She did _nothing_ to deserve the sight of seeing so much as one of these boats get burned down to ashes or to completely submit to her father's wishes. The man before him wasn't a Chief to him at this point but was instead a heartless idiot who could bring his people to ruin with his stubborn nature.

The two men locked eyes until Maui felt someone whack him over the head and he was forced to the ground by two of the strongest men in Tui's group. They grabbed his arms and jerked them up his back in an extremely painful manner and they forced him to stay kneeling on the ground until Tui could give the order. Tui himself recovered and knew what had to be done.

"The day after tomorrow, you will leave our island and never come back." He glared down at Maui, who looked up at him with that intense look of anger still in his eyes. "Until then, you will be tied up in your fale and will be carefully guarded." Tui looked to Moana. "And I will not have my daughter go anywhere near you from now on. You have been too strong of an influence on her and I will not have her set you free behind my back. If she does, then I will have to give her an appropriate punishment."

Moana let out a gasp of horror as she realized what was happening. She did not expect her friend to aid her after all that happened and now he was paying the price for stopping her father. She would never even get a chance to say good bye if her father had his way.

As the two men forced Maui back up, they lead him towards the entrance to the cave but Maui only had enough time to lock eyes with Moana.

Moana was caught off guard by how angry her friend had become, in addition to being horrified at what he did in placing her wishes before his own. He almost looked like a monster from one of her grandmother's tales when he became furious (more so when she had hurt him that one time), yet when they locked eyes with each other, his anger died in an instant, his features softened, and the tension in his face vanished as he saw how broken and miserable she had become. He himself wished he could reassure her and comfort her, but they both knew that it was helpless now.

' _I'm sorry.'_ Moana felt herself about ready to cry as she shook her head and mouthed the words while the women let her go to help the men take her friend away. _'I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to–'_

' _Its ok, its not your fault.'_ Maui tried to mouth back to her before he was forced to turn and couldn't face her anymore.

Moana saw her father come to her out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't care what he had to say anymore. Her sorrow and her anger were too much to bear his coming words as she turned towards him. He was going to take away their heritage despite how important it was to them and now he took away one of the few people who understood her, was going to punish him, and was denying her even a small chance to be with him for one last time. He probably would even go as far as to find another torch and burn down the boats, no mater what she did. He didn't even care what she wanted anymore–he only saw her as something less then a human who didn't have a right to control her future.

"I _hate_ you!" Moana sobbed as her hands tightened up into fists. "I wish it was you who had died instead of him!"

And before her father could say anything, she ran towards the water that he hated so much and leapt into it.

"MOANA!" Maui could hear Tui yell as well as the following splash and he knew what happened. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes as he gave into his fate.

He would never regret what he did, but now he realized that he really had lost more then just one final chance to be with her. If Hoani wasn't made aware of his existence (and ratted him out) then even on the day he was finally freed, it wouldn't have mattered if he could easily escape much earlier than that. He did not want his friendship with Moana to end like this and he could not face her with the truth if he was going to fail and change back. He didn't think that waiting until he could turn back into a demi-god so that he could get her off the island was even an option anymore.

"COME BACK!" Tui yelled, but Moana swam against his protests and her injured leg. She didn't stop swimming to the waterfall no matter how much she was called to go back. It was only when she made it past the waterfall that she let herself cry her eyes out and her tears could mingle with the water of the ocean.

* * *

Sina smiled as she saw her husband come towards the village and ran towards him with every intent to share what was bound to be some good news, but she came to a stop when she saw how remorseful he seemed.

"Tui?" Sina asked. "Is something..." her voice trailed off when she saw a group follow him and none of them seemed happy but what really shocked her was that two of them were holding onto Moana's guardian as if he were a prisoner. For some reason he looked miserable and the strange melancholic look in his downcast eyes only raised questions. One of which was where on earth was her daughter?

Tala soon joined Sina and when she was able to pick up what was going on, she let out a disheartened sigh. Of all the horrible luck, it figured that a price would have to be paid for Moana to be happy for one day; if _only_ she had seen this coming. Instead her family had been torn further apart then it already was.

"Chief Tui." Tui finally turned his head to see the three women he sent out earlier to explore the ruined beach. He walked away from the group and deliberately avoided Sina's questioning gaze until he came to the three.

"We found something strange on the beach." One of the women took a large bag out and handed it to Tui. "I don't think this is a natural object."

Tui opened the bag up and peered inside to see a strange yellowish brown thing that reminded him of a scale of some sort of fish or lizard. He glanced back to make sure no one could see him and opened the bag up and took the object out. When it was exposed to what was left of the sunlight, it seemed to have an appealing sheen about it like sunlight shining upon water. It almost reminded him of a pearl, but there was something to this object that made it more beautiful to behold.

"What do you think it is?" One of the women asked.

"It looks almost like a part of an animal's scale." Tui finally confessed in a whisper. "But I can't tell what kind. He tapped the object and it felt a lot more durable then a regular scale and also heavier. It had a stone quality about it, but it was too well polished to be a regular stone.

"Tui." One of the fisherman came up to Tui and he turned to face him. "We might not have enough fish tomorrow. In fact I don't know if we will have much for a day or two."

"What do you mean?" Tui asked.

"We didn't catch as much. In fact there was some spots around the island where there weren't any. It's like someone came and beat us to it."

Tui paused before looking at the scale like object again. "Or what if it was some _thing_?" He felt a little concerned. He was wondering if the strange man had a connection to all of this–there was still a small chance, but now it was growing unlikely. Whatever this was in his hand had been broken off of whatever it belonged to. Of whatever it was that came to the island.

If a large creature unlike any he could imagine had come to the island, then hopefully all it wanted was to get food. He hoped to the gods that that was the case and that it had left the island for good. He already had too much to deal with as did a few other people on this island.

* * *

Moana cried on her spot at the shore near a cliffside and some trees and rocks, and the waves did nothing to comfort her this time. Her tears fell and she could not stop herself from sobbing.

"I'm so sorry!" She cried to her silent friend. "I should never have told you about myself!" She held her face in her hands. "I should have never–I should have–" But she couldn't finish her sentence as she chocked on a sob.

None of this was fair. Her father and what he did, her friend being punished for what he had done–why did someone have to be punished when she tried to accept the blame? Why did they expect her to do so many things to please them or to support her people without considering what she wanted too? Was it that wrong to be even a little selfish?

For one day of happiness, she had to have everything that was so wonderful about it taken away from her in an instant.

"I wish you took us far away from Motonui instead of saving us." She told the ocean. "I wish I never loved you so much, then none of this would have happened." She just hurt so much, in body and in heart. She wanted to curl up and be somewhere alone where the world couldn't find her. She _almost_ wished that the ocean had claimed her instead of saving her if it lead to her father discovering the truth. She wanted to ignore all her duties just this once, run away as far as she could, and never look back.

She felt too powerless to do anything anymore.

Unknown to Moana, a large, dark shadow was watching from a cliffside as he leaned against the rocks to look down at her. He was covered from head to toe in a garment of tattered cloth like material of browns and greens that blended into the background of the island. The robe like garment even had a hood that was drawn over most of his face, but he was still able to peer down at the sad child below him as he played with a brightly colored coin like object in his hand that could reflect light off its surface if you held it to the sun just right.

And if you had a few more, you could angle them so that the sun could bounce and shine off them and hit someone in the eye like he had done on the girl down below him not that long ago.

What Tui had feared hadn't left the island. In fact it had hidden itself and had observed quite a lot, including the Chief's precious daughter who was at a very vulnerable state. If a powerful force of good came to the island without anyone realizing it, then another, more ominous one had also come and it currently had one thing on its mind, which was crying and unaware of the great danger that would soon come to her.

"Poor child," He quietly mused in a voice that had a certain accent. "Feeling all miserable and guilty of things beyond her control, no doubt." He gave Moana a dark grin as he bared his slightly crooked teeth at her. "But don't worry–Tamatoa here has a way to fix the heartbreak when he gets the chance later tonight. _And nothing is going to stop me from paying my respects to a princess."_ He growled as his grin widened at the thought of what was to come.

* * *

 **Oh boy, where do we begin?**

 **I feel really horrible for what I did to Moana. It almost killed me when I had to write that scene out in the cave. It was one heck of a roller coaster for her (I was inspired by Caribbean Blue by Enya for the water dance, and yes I'm aware that has nothing to do with the Pacific) and at this point she is more like Ariel then Maui is.**

 **I don't think gold was a well known material or valuable in the Polynesian region (unless I'm getting my facts wrong). Even in the film, I couldn't buy that gold could exist anywhere except maybe under the ocean at that time, which is why Tui doesn't recognize it. Then again Tamatoa didn't earn the title of being a collector for nothing.**

 **I'm pretty sure Maui would have gotten a worser punishment for what he did but so far I can't see what the penalty would have been. I'm still sticking with his current punishment since it works for this fan fic. Ironically what he did was a bit of wish fulfillment on my part because–lets face it, how many Disney movies involve a main character's precious object or collection getting destroyed?**

 **I'm not convinced that Moana would of had the luck of going single forever or having much choice in who she would marry as the Chief's daughter back in those days. From what I learned, courting in that culture isn't the same as dating and she would of had a lot of restrictions to deal with. I've seen variations in Polynesian culture where the man has to impress the girl's family with gifts or the parents would choose the suitor for their daughter, or both man and woman would need approval from each other's families. You couldn't even have physical contact with your loved one in public if my research was correct. And while the prince in the original Little Mermaid was also expected to visit a princess and marry her, everything worked out well for him (but not the mermaid).**

 **Not so much for Moana in this case. Poor girl REALLY needs a hug.**

 **Unfortunately for her... yeah, lets just say I've been looking forward to the next chapter for a really long time. Speaking of...**

 **Oh hey, I've been looking everywhere for you after you had your date with– Wait... what... WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT–?!**

 **...**

 **...**

 **ERROR**

 **ERROR**

 **ERROR**

 **...**

 **...**

 **AUTHOR NOT FOUND**

 **...**

 **There is a silence and the comforting words of the writer are absent.**

 **Darkness...**

 **Just darkness...**

 **You wonder what lays ahead.**

 **Maybe you are so sure that you know what will happen next... or maybe you don't.**

 **And yet there is a pair of eyes watching you in the darkness. You then remember that these familiar eyes were not meant to be friendly.**

 **The laugh that echoes out does nothing to reassure you.**

"You really should have seen that coming."

The figure who was covered in the strange cloak was still looking down at Moana but he didn't turn to face the reader. "Or maybe you did. I don't care, I found it funny either way."

"You know I _almost_ pity you all. You are the only ones who know what is going on and you are the only ones who could save your precious little princess down there." He pointed before letting out another laugh. "Well isn't that a shame! You honestly think you know what is going on and what might happen next and yet you can't stop me!"

"As for your... author." He waved his hand. "Oh she will still respond to you as if I didn't do anything awful to her. Leave a nice review or a note behind because if there was ever a time to leave a review, now would be a good time. We are dying to know how you felt about this chapter."

" _Maybe_ if you are lucky I'll answer it too since I know how much some of you adore me despite... well, you know. Sadly anything you do won't be enough to stop me, so don't even try to have any wish fulfillments and pretend to attack me before I get to the little mortal. Don't try to act like a hero and save the girl, or even try to help out your little-semi-demi-mini-god. That wall between you and Tamatoa is rock solid right now and it's not going anywhere."

"Also don't try to ask what I got planned. No one likes to be spoiled and lose the impact of a good moment when it comes."

"So until you find out what I'm going to do with that mortal down there that you all so love, go and relax. Enjoy whatever is going on in your life or go back to your work like the good human you are. In the meantime, leave the hard work to the writer and me to..." He looked down at Moana and he grinned at her again. "Let's... just say that there will be 90% less Maui in the next chapter." He let out a deep chuckle. " _See you next time, you funny little mortals, because I'm going to enjoy what comes next._ "


	9. The lure of the Siren

There was a dark laugh as a cloaked figure stood behind the writer who was tied into a chair. Strings of pearls and rope were tied around her wrists to the rests and she stared at them in confusion.

"See, I can't take any chances with you like with your precious readers." The figure reached out and rested his hand's on the writer's shoulders. "Consider yourself lucky I didn't do anything worse."

"Uh..." The writer frowned at the 'binds' "I know this isn't as bad as decapitation by the moon from Majora's Mask but this is just awkward." She cringed "Seriously, string of pearls for rope? Ugh, and then I keep forgetting that you're a Disney character, which makes this a lot more weird."

The figure laughed. "In a good way sweetheart!"

"What happened?!" The writer demanded. "I thought we had a truce! And I feel betrayed!" She frowned as a genuinely hurt look was on her face. "I mean, I thought we were becoming friends! And why do you call me 'sweetheart'?" She asked. "In fact, why did I write out that you would call me 'sweetheart' that one time?"

"Oh you mean the A/N version of me?" The figure laughed and the writer shot him a confused look. When he pointed, she turned around to see another version of Tamatoa in the human form she imagined him and he was also tied up in a similar (but more sparkly) manner. "I took care of him too." He added.

"Explain why there was a version of Maui's little friend playing video games and also knew who I was." The A/N Tamatoa asked her in an annoyed tone. "And can you explain WHY I'm a human?"

The writer groaned. "Oh this'll give me and the readers a headache with the reviews."

 **ChangelingRin:** He does miss some of those abilities. You can't just quit something that easily without withdrawal, plus those powers came from the hook, so its not like he was forced to give it up altogether. Plus imagine having those tattoos for so long that its really strange when they do vanish and you keep expecting them to be there.

 **Tamatoa's response to ChangelingRin: Aw really? I do appreciate the effort you are making and I do think the auto-correct is quite an annoyance. I appreciate all love and effort the fans put into me, such as someone as considerate as you. *grins with a wink***

 **Tamatoa's response to Child of Dreams: *laughs* Oh is that a challenge, babe? You really think something as small as you can be able to de-claw me? Remember *taps fourth wall* this is still intact.**

 **Subuku no Jess:** I am proud because that means I'm going my job! *laughs and creeps out Tamatoa* I live for these kind of reviews!

 **Tamatoa's response to Subuku no Jess: I'm not eating you, babe. I think I'm getting fond of these peculiar readers. Anyway... did you like the date? ;)**

 **Jhalpernkitcat:** There's a myth in one of the islands where Maui was kind of a jerk to his wife and swapped faces with her. Someone had an alternate interpretation of the death myth in that fan fic but... I'll talk about it through a PM to be safe. I didn't mean to do a Zootopia reference but I can see it- it's unavoidable to remind people of other movies. Also I don't think it would be a Moana fanfic if she didn't have a connection to the ocean and I knew this bond was too important to throw away. Also thanks for making me wish for Moana to appear in Once Upon a Time again for that Rumplestiltskin reference.

 **Tamatoa's response to Jhalpernkitcat: Do you think I could have gotten away with half of those things as my true, glamorous self? Also thank you for those points, I'll take them with love. Oh what I have planned mainly concerns the little human, but I can't guarantee that it wont effect some else. And believe me, I'm planning on how I will blend in... and I got some things set up if it doesn't work out how I'd like them to go. *laughs* I wonder if I should pay this one strange man a visit later on. Also I guarantee that I don't put my treasure** _ **there**_ **.**

 **Armywife22079:** *as Tamatoa snickers in amusement at your review* Huh, did not mean to do that. But I can see the Pocahontas reference, which makes sense.

 **OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon:** Uh... Tui ALMOST did that in the movie too. Yeah, Moana is starting to pick up on a few things but she's about to get another distraction. I think you'll love this chapter and one of the reasons is that you will find out what the mystery object is at the very end.

Tamatoa's response to **OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon: As long as you all adore me, I can't play favorites. That reader lucked out, but if you want– *blows kiss***

 ***Taps wall back* As long as this thing stays up, you'll never get me. And who is to say that I'm the same Tamatoa from the A/N? *laughs***

 **Fan de Basil de Baker Street:** He's overprotective but he did take it too far. There's still hope that Moana might help Maui, but she's about to get a serious obstacle in her way.

 **Tamatoa's response to the Guest who tried to warn Maui and Moana: *lets out an unkind laugh as he grins at you through the wall* I told you not to try to be a hero! They can't hear you and it would be a miracle if your words reached at least one of them! *pokes at the wall* Do you think you are telepathic or something, little human? At this point I can guarantee that both of them are too lost in their depression to hear you.**

 **DeterminedSoul:** Wait, are you talking to me or the other one? *freaks out*

 **Tamatoa's response to DeterminedSoul: Oh ho, I wonder who this is. *grins* Because you now have my curiosity. I do admit that I enjoy escaping out of the writer's head to communicate with others–she can be quite annoying at times, despite her adoration of me. If it really IS me you are talking to, I wouldn't mind a quick chat.**

 **Enigma:** By villain I meant 'Wreck it Ralph' and I made that joke since one of the readers thought I had an interesting set up to a joke (and I agree with the name issue). The boat didn't get burned, but I was aiming for that parallel. Ooo, I love your facepaint!

 **Both Tamatoas' responses to Enigma: So do I!**

"Well, off to pay a visit to the little human." The cloaked figure laughed at the readers before looking at the writer. "By the way... I realize you've been trying to restrain yourself from me despite allowing my other self to give away love to the readers. I understand why, you don't want to be _THAT_ kind of fan."

"No, I am not THAT kind of fan and I am aware that you aren't MY kind of guy, even if I do like characters like you." The writer snapped before she realized something. "Wait, what did I just say?"

The figure laughed as he patted the writer's head. "Oh you silly little human, I know you can't resist me." He then went off. "Have fun with the denial."

The writer just stared in dumbfounded disbelief before staring at the A/N Tamatoa. "He's... kidding, right?"

 **Wow, I managed to make a few readers hate Tui. He kind of did that in the movie so it worked almost too well for this A/N (I HATE that grotto scene from the Little Mermaid). Of course he is going to regret that action when he gets exposed to the consequences later. My sadistic side really enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Now I'm not trying to make enter an angst phase in this story for the heck of it. Imagine being a teenager who is going through a really difficult time, in addition to having to deal with a lot of pressure of the difficulties of adulthood and that is the painful reality that is happening here. It was also interesting for me to do something new and explore the other sides of such issues within the family and how these events are effecting them, but of course this is a story where things are about to get MUCH worse.**

 **Speaking of which...**

 **As stated before, I wanted to keep the description of Tamatoa's human form to a minimum, with the exception of a few key details. This is so that you, the reader, can envision your favorite humanized version since there are so many awesome ones out there to use (I know I have mine on tumblr and deviantart (also, its under the name tornrose24 if you need to take a quick look), but I'm curious to know which version you opted for in the reviews). Of course there was one thing I had to include in his description no matter what because I don't think Motonui would be an easy place to maneuver around without it (especially without a walking stick).**

 **Yeah, sorry about that.**

 **So I did some alterations to some recognizable songs. The first song might be unfamiliar because I changed most the original lyrics but if you know the song** _ **Suppertime**_ **or its reprise from Little Shop of Horrors...well, you'll see. (it's one of the best broadway songs in my opinion, not to mention downright creepy).**

 **And in case a select few of you are wondering, no I didn't use** _ **'Goodbye Moonmen'**_ **from Rick and Morty** _ **or 'Mermaid'**_ **from Flight of the Concords as fitting as they would have been. Sorry. :(**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: The lure of the Siren**

When night came there was a strange quietness upon Motonui. Even the sound of the ocean in the distance seemed to have dulled down to the point that its calm nature was missing. It was only if you were more aware of your surroundings that you would notice this, yet most of the villagers were in a hushed excitement for the visitors that would come tomorrow and the fun that the events would bring. Only a select few dreaded the day that was to come, yet one resident held a special kind of fear for her role.

Grandma Tala finished her drink in silence before turning to see her granddaughter huddled under the protection of the tapa that depicted Maui in all his fierce glory. She had her head bowed and her legs were drawn into her body as her arms were around them in a tight grip to the point that she looked like an unmoving rock. Her injury was cleaned, treated, and bandaged up, but nothing could be done to fix the pain within the girl.

Pua sat by Moana's side and looked up at his human friend with sorrow and whined as he wished there could be a way to cheer her up but he didn't know how.

Tala sighed as she set the drink down. She would not let her son be anywhere near his daughter for the time being as there was too much anger and heartbreak for them to be in each other's presence. Normally she would be more than happy for Moana to come spend a night with her, but this was not a happy visit.

"I don't think I can smile when I dance." Moana finally spoke in a pained voice while she was still curled up. "I can't think of a reason to. Not after what has happened."

Tala wished that she could posses all the knowledge of the world, for sometimes there was no true way to comfort someone so that they could be happy before the sun rose up the next morning. She knew that feeling when her husband died and it took awhile for her to smile again, but she knew that what Moana was going through was something entirely different. Her soul had almost been crushed completely when the boats were about to be destroyed by her father's hand and she was going to lose a friend as a result. Worse yet, she had to experience the pains of not only growing up, but the heavy burdens she knew her future would bring in her role as a leader.

"I saw you leave Motonui on that boat, but I did not say a word about it." Tala finally spoke as she tried to find a way to help the girl. "I could not see you clearly but I could feel your happiness as if you were beside me. I had prayed that the gods would make that dream come true, and they did."

"But now its a tainted dream." Moana looked up and revealed how utterly miserable she was as well as a slight redness in her eyes from crying. Even now it looked like she was trying to hold herself together. "I thought this would be the best day of my life, but when I remember what happens after I go back to the island, I'll always remember how badly it ends. Even the best part of today had to be taken away from me by father." Moana let out a small, bitter sigh.

"I don't think I'm meant to have happiness." Moana confessed. "I'm always kept from the things I want more than anything and if I get one taste of it then I'm punished for it. If people try to help me, then they get punished. And now I am expected to play a part and smile and dance as if nothing happened." She closed her eyes. "I feel like I'm suffocating because I want to be a leader for my people, but I don't think I could be able to live up to their expectations. I don't know if I'll ever find a husband that I would like or if I'd even be able to have a child to continue the line when that day comes. I'm drowning and this time there is nothing that can pull me out or save me."

"I'm scared, Grandma." Moana looked at her grandmother with quiet despair in her brown eyes. "I'm scared because I will always have to make sacrifices whether I want to or not. I can't make my own choices because its like fate has something in store for me and I don't know if I want it. I don't know if I can wear a smile for a mask for the rest of my days."

Tala stared at Moana before she took a breath. "So you think you don't have a choice in what you say?" When Moana shook her head, she continued.

"Sometimes there is no telling what the world wants us to do or what fate has in store." Tala told Moana. "We can't change the past and we can't always correctly predict the future. We can't decide to be born into the life we find ourselves in, and the given circumstances limits our options, but we do have a choice. We can chose to stick in the same spot forever or we can get up and try to move on. You can make the most of what life offers, you can fight your way out, or you can let someone else decide your path. You can stay on this island or you can leave–"

"I can't!" Moana cried. "I can't abandon my people and yet I–!" She gave up and sighed. "Not a lot of people in my life have ever considered what I want, especially considering who I'm destined to become. And yet, of all the people who gave me that freedom to have that one day to be out at sea was someone who could have easily taken it away from me. Someone who took a serious risk for my sake."

"Ah yes, the one who cannot speak." Tala smiled knowingly. "But why would you think that way of the one who you tried to get away from through trickery and who you could not stand? I thought you regarded him as arrogant and–"

"He is!" Moana confessed as she threw a hand out. "And he treated me like a bratty child when I acted like one! Yet–" She dropped her hand as she thought about her friend. "The more I spent time with him, the more I could really see him. Arrogant, smug, and a bit of a trickster, but..." She pondered over her words as well as the man on her mind. Had her opinion of him changed that much? "He went against father's wishes to make my dream come true and I can't think of too many people who would be willing to do that. It took me awhile to really know him, but I could see someone who could be fun, reliable, incredibly daring, adventurous, and determined. Someone who listened and who didn't treat me like a Chief's daughter, but as a regular girl, and was willing and patient enough to teach me all I wanted to know. There is more to him and I want to know more about him, like what he used to do. If I could have another day on the sea with him, I would take it in a heartbeat and not just because it would mean that I would have that day on the sea once more. And if it was in my power, I would do anything to pay him back for all he did. I'd even give him his voice back if I knew how to do it."

And in truth, she almost wished it were possible that he could stay in her life a little longer or at least that he could come back to visit her. If he was to leave her life forever, she doubted that she could ever forget him that easily.

"And its all my fault that he's going to be sent away." Moana sighed. "For all he did, he gets banishment as repayment and I can't do anything to stop it or say goodbye. I don't think I even gave him a thank you hug in all the time I knew him." Come to think of it, did she _ever_ have a chance to do that? She verbally thanked him, but she never expressed it in the gesture that would have meant so much more and would tell him everything that she would not be able to say.

Tala frowned as she thought some things over. "Would he be worth defying your father?" She finally asked.

Moana looked up in confusion as Tala added "Some people and causes are worth defying all odds. Some sacrifices are worth making and no matter how large your foe may be, you can overcome them by being your true self as well as being true to yourself. Remember what I said about having a choice?"

Moana was about to ask her grandmother what she really meant when they heard footsteps coming towards the fale. Afraid that it was her father, Moana hurried to one corner of the room while Tala got up with her cane and went to move the entrance aside.

"May I speak with you alone?" It was her mother and she sounded desperate and lost. "Its about some things that happened today."

"I will in a second." Tala nodded and walked to Moana where she knelt beside her. "Remember, if you really don't feel up to dancing tomorrow, you can always claim illness at the last moment." Tala whispered to Moana. "It works _every_ time." She then raised her voice as she got back up. "Would you like me to bring anything back? Some fruit perhaps?"

Moana shook her head before turning to Pua. "I'd like to be alone for a bit, Pua." She told him. "Could you go with Grandma?"

Pua was reluctant to do so, partly because he didn't want Moana to suffer alone, but also because he sensed that there was something wrong in the air. It was as if there was a strong force, like a large amount of mana that was compressed all together and stuffed into a coconut shell that could barely hold it in, but it wasn't comforting and he had no idea what it was.

"Please?"

Pua reluctantly left Moana and followed Tala out of the fale as his concern for his friend won over his concern for the strangeness in the air. He hoped that Moana would have some time to clear her thoughts before they got back.

Moana watched as Tala and Pua left and she could see a row of torches outside that illuminated the black darkness in their welcoming glow. When the entrance fell, she could see the lights from the torches through the tapas as well as the designs upon them. She turned to the tapa that she was originally under that depicted Maui–that intense gaze and those barred teeth made her think of her friend's moment of anger from earlier–and she recalled her dream with the mysterious woman.

 _"So long as you are by the ocean or within it, it will protect you from a certain danger."_ The words rang in her head but they only made her annoyed.

"What good was being safe near the water when all it did was cause me trouble?" Moana asked the tapa of Maui before turning around to look at all the tapas. "What good can any of you be to me now?!" She demanded with a scowl as she walked around the room and shot accusing looks at the characters. "I can't overcome my foe because he wishes to control my future! I can't just abandon my people, no matter how much I want to leave! I'm not a hero like some of you and I don't have the power like the rest! I can't save my friend and I can't save myself!" She felt like she was suffocating again, like she was choking on something unseen.

"I know father will still try to burn down the boats." She felt herself going into a panic. "I let our heritage be destroyed because of me! I let one person get in trouble because of me! I just can't get out of the dance because of how much it means to me! I'm expected to do things that I don't know if I can or not, I'll always have to mask my real feelings–"

She was drowning in her stress and she tried to swim back up in an angry outburst.

"No one cares about what I want! Why would any of _you_ start caring?!" She cried out to the characters. "Do any of you understand how I feel?! I can't be the person–I don't want to be–I–!"

She didn't know what she wanted anymore. "I don't know what my true self is." She stopped at the tapa of Tamatoa and collapsed under it. "I can't–" She felt her tears coming. "I can't–" She curled herself into a ball again and tried to calm herself as her head bowed into her knees.

She was terrified and she wanted out. She didn't want tomorrow to come and she wanted to defy all odds but she had no clue how. She couldn't be true to herself and she had no idea who she was anymore. All she knew was that she was just a stupid, selfish little brat who couldn't do anything right.

Moana started to sob as her tears came flowing out while the ball of stress was still locked inside her body.

The light from the torch outside illuminated the tapa Moana was in front of and it revealed all the sinister details that made up Tamatoa who was right above her. Yet an ominous shadow of a figure from outside walked forth and stopped in front of the tapa and covered up the character on it. The shadow blocked Moana from the light, trapping her in its darkness, and as she continued to sob, the shadow waited for a few seconds.

" _Hey little princess hello..."_ A smooth, yet deep sounding voice sang out from behind Moana.

Moana ceased her crying as she took in the voice through her stress filled mind. "Wh-whose there?" She sniffed as she slowly raised her head and acknowledged that she was not alone.

" _You're looking glum as can be..."_ She never heard such a voice before; it had a smooth, calming quality and yet there was an odd seductiveness about it that made you want to hear more.

"Hello?" Moana's voice rose in strength with her demand as she began to forget her concerns. Who was outside the fale and singing as if it was for her and her alone?

" _You're looking mighty sad."_ The voice continued to croon and it was at this point that Moana finally got up, but the figure retreated away from the tapa as if he sensed what she was doing. _"It's so plain to me."_

Moana wiped her tears off her face as she walked over to the entrance to the fale and opened it to see an almost human like figure in strange cape like garments of dark greens and browns that completely covered him from head to toe and slightly dragged upon the ground. He took one of the torches off the ground and proceeded to walk away from the fale with a strange staggering movement as if his steps varied between normal and uneven. _"Well if you need a friend,"_ He continued singing as he went about his way _"I got a hand to lend."_

Curious as to who this strange singer was, Moana watched as he got farther away before she went over to also grab one of the torches. She watched as he headed his way on a side trail that lead somewhere near the mountains and forested area of the mountain in that strange walk of his.

Could he be her friend? No, she was positive that couldn't be what his actual voice sounded like (and she wasn't sure if he did escape) but she felt compelled to follow this man who didn't sound like any of the men from her village. No man she knew of possessed a voice that seductive or that unique. If truth be told, any distraction was a welcome to the girl and this was a very interesting one.

" _Come on, come on,"_ He sang as if he knew she was following him as he got further and further away into the darkness of the night with only a torch to guide him. _"Come on, come on,"_ And follow him she did, away from her grandmother's fale. _"Come on, come on."_

His singing continued to make Moana forget her troubles from earlier that day and her sadness turned to a burning curiosity. She wanted to know who this person was while at the same time she was drawn to his voice, which seemed to numb away her inner turmoil.

" _Poor unfortunate soul,"_ He sang another song. " _In pain, in need. This one longing for their freedom, this one longing to escape, and do I help them? Yes indeed."_

Moana was barely paying attention to his words as she continued following this strange figure farther and farther away from the village. It was easy to follow him due to his limping movements and his torch which he held as far away from him as possible, yet she was unaware as to where exactly he was going as they continued.

Moana wanted more than anything to see the face of the one who possessed such a voice. She already had to go through many years wondering about the face of the voice she tried her hardest to remember. If her savior's voice had been like a warm day with the sun at its highest point in the sky and was deep and full of life, then this voice had a strange playfulness about it and a smoldering quality, with a rich depth unlike that of the ocean.

Eventually he changed his song again that practically radiated with confidence. " _Well Tamatoa hasn't always been this glam,_ " He crooned. _"He was a drab little crab once. Now he knows he can be happy as a clam, because he's beautiful, baby."_

" _Did your granny say, listen to your heart?"_ He continued as his voice picked up in volume. _"Be who you are on the inside?" I need three words to tear her argument apart: your granny lied."_

Moana became aware that they were now somewhere between the forests and the mountains as he continued in a more upbeat, show-offish manner. _"I'd rather be shiny! Like a treasure from a sunken pirate wreck! Scrub the deck and make it look shiny! I will sparkle like a wealthy woman's neck!"_

For a brief moment Moana was reminded of her friend's earlier smug behavior and felt convinced that if this man wasn't him then these two would probably get along. In that moment she felt a twinge of regret and she completely missed part of the man's song. When she came back to reality, she only heard _"-they chase anything that glitters! Beginners! Oh, and here they come, come, come, to the brightest thing that glitters!"_

At this point the man stopped at a small dead end of an area where the earth rose up to serve as walls, though one wall was low enough that you could see the tops of the nearby trees. There were some plants and a few boulders and rocks, yet there were a few torches already placed here and there to give the area equal illumination. It was here that the man hummed the rest of the song and he thrusted the torch in between a few boulders and Moana stopped a few feet away to see what he would do. He cracked his head to one side and took the odd garment off before quickly throwing it away as far as he could as if he hated it and he let out a deep sigh of relief. He made to roll his head for a moment but then he paused for a second when he seemed to be aware that someone had followed him.

" _Well, well, well,"_ He sang with a low, amused tone as he turned around to face Moana, who almost flinched in surprise and even backed away a few steps when she realized that he was now fully aware of the fact that she followed him.

This man was not ordinary in appearance. His clothing was unusual in that the vibrant colors were impossible to create with any ordinary dyes, nor did they look natural. His adornments included strange looking objects and materials that flashed and shone in the light of the fire and he even wore them as accessories. His appearance was so peculiar and flashy, yet so other worldly, that Moana had no idea if she was standing before a warrior, a lord, or even one of the gods.

When she looked down, she realized why the man walked so oddly–he was missing part of a leg on one side and he was wearing some sort of prosthetic unlike any she had ever seen as a replacement so that he could be able to walk like a normal two legged person.

"What have we here?" Moana looked up when the stranger asked in an amused and eager tone of voice. His talking voice was slightly different than his singing voice as he had specific accent that was more prominent and made the emphasis on some of the words come out differently than what Moana was used to. "I thought I heard someone following me."

He flashed the girl a strange grin that revealed a set of crooked teeth as he walked over to her. "I didn't expect that it would be the young princess of this island herself!" He then bowed before her in a dramatic flourish, his upper body bending low as far as he could and his free arm extending completely out to the side. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness!"

"I–uh–" Moana felt a little unsure as to what was going on. "I'm not a princess." She told him with a slight awkwardness. "I'm the Chief's daughter–I'm afraid isn't the same thing."

The stranger let out a strange scoffing sound. "Aw, it doesn't matter." He got up and rolled his eyes before walking towards her. "From what I know, the titles are all the same." He then did something Moana didn't expect when he got close enough– he reached out and took her free hand with an almost light as an air hold and extreme carefulness. It was as if he was barely touching her and was trying to avoid completely grabbing her hand as if doing so would break it and he lowered himself slightly to her level as his other arm went behind his back.

" _Enchante, mon princesse_." The stranger gave Moana a wide, yet oddly charming smile before he raised her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. It was such a sudden gesture that Moana had no idea how to react, yet she felt herself blushing at the contact of his lips against her hand. She couldn't deny that there _was_ a strangely charismatic nature about this man, despite his other oddities.

"Was that too forward?" The stranger flatly asked with a frown after kissing her hand when he saw the blush, yet his eyes hinted at a pleasure towards her reaction.

"You'll have to forgive me." The stranger continued as he lowered her hand from his face and he looked into her eyes. "I know that's not the traditional greeting around these parts, but I'm a collector and I tend to pick up more than just treasures when I go out and about in the world. Its quite educational and some of the things I find are beyond your wildest imagination."

Moana heard his words but she was looking at his eyes–they were a beautiful shade of deep blue, like certain parts of the waters around Motonui, yet his left pupil was slightly larger than the right one. She wondered how that was possible (an injury or something he had since birth?) and she missed hearing the stranger brag about his career as a collector until he finally said:

"Hey, babe?" The stranger's unique eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Just pick one to look at."

"Sorry!" Moana shook her head with a cringe of embarrassment and focused on his face altogether.

"You must get easily distracted a lot, don't you?" He asked as he finally let go of her hand and he stood back up. "Granted I can't blame you since I'm impressive looking to begin with and I know I got a nice set of eyes." He let out a smug smile at this as he gestured to himself with a dramatic flourish. "I actually quite enjoy the staring, so I forgive you for stalking me."

"Wha–?! No, I–!" Moana didn't know whether to be offended or not by his earlier words but she didn't want to embarrass herself either, nor did she want to seem offensive (she _did_ notice that he was missing a leg after all, in addition to the differences in his pupils). "I mean I did follow you," She stammered "But that was only when I heard you singing and you were covered up and–and you are a great singer!" She quickly added before she could offend him.

The man's face dropped in confusion for a second. "Wait... you actually _liked_ the singing."

"Yes." Moana smiled a little after making that recovery as she moved her torch in her other hand. "I've never heard a voice like yours. I was feeling depressed about some things that happened but I forgotten all about them now, so thank you." It was true, she did forget her troubles.

The stranger stared at her in disbelief before he let out a smile that felt a lot more genuine then the others. "You mean it?" He laughed in delight. "Thanks, mon princesse! The last time I sang, I was told to shut up!"

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Moana frowned as she wondered how that happened. He _was_ a great singer, so it couldn't have been because he was terrible.

"Yeah, well he got what he had coming to him!" The stranger's following laugh was now more out of amusement but there was an odd thing about it that felt wrong and almost mean spirited. "Actually it was kind of ironic, now that I think about it!"

His laughter died down for a moment and the humor in his eyes vanished. "You know its almost funny." He mused as he suddenly became lost in thought. "There _was_ a time when I thought my voice alone could make others see some sort of value in me. In fact it used to be my only favorite thing since it could make others happy." His eyes became melancholic and he paused for a few moments to turn his head around to try to look at his back for some odd reason.

"And then you find out that no matter what you do, all people care about is what's outside and whether or not you're–" He quickly shook his head and that smugness returned when he moved his head back to the confused girl.

"But hey, why should others care about how you feel, right?" He closed his eyes as he cupped his chin with one hand. "Its not like it's more important than politics, preparations, appearances, or why the sky is missing some stars at night." The stranger opened his eyes and let go of his chin to wave his hand out. "Though I can see quite a lot above our heads right now." He looked up for a second. "I wonder how they shine like that."

One part of what he said was oddly specific and yet it caught Moana's attention all the same. "You know that Maui's constellation is missing too?!" She asked. "Tell me," She stepped forward. "What do you know about it? Why has it vanished?"

"Oh?" The stranger seemed rather interested in her reaction. "So you hum–" He was about to say something but then hummed it instead before changing his words "–you noticed that, didn't you?!" His eyes then narrowed at Moana as his mouth turned into a smirk. "Question, O daughter of a Chief–well, its more like a personality question. Not one of the annoying kinds, like what your favorite color is!" He waved his hand but then he paused again. "Jewel tones." He quickly threw it in as if he considered the answer but then he waved his hand again.

"Anyway, its something more meaningful like..." His smirk deepened as his voice lowered to a strange, ominous tone as he leaned in towards Moana _"What would you say if Maui turned his back on the human race and left them because they all took him for granted?"_

Moana stared in disbelief. What kind of question was that?

"No," She shook her head. "No he wouldn't do that!" She denied this. "We appreciate all that he has done for us! We tell his stories and they inspire us even today! He wouldn't just leave us like that!" That couldn't be why the constellation vanished because Maui was said to genuinely care about the well being of humans. It just wasn't a good enough of a reason.

The stranger was taken aback by this but then he let out an odd snorting sound mixed with a laugh. He tried to hold it in yet he covered his mouth with his hand as he snickered at Moana's reaction and she thought she heard him mutter something behind it.

"Oh sorry forgive me, something about that reminded me of something amusing that has to do with an old friend." He shrugged and waved his hand again. "So despite all the less savory tales about him, you honestly believe that Maui is still a hero to you all? That he won't get upset because one or two humans took advantage of his generosity over the years? You really think he is selfless enough to care about the feelings of at least one human if he goes missing, let alone if he actually does exist?"

His words struck a small blow into Moana's heart but the anger she held came back. "You probably know as much about him as you know about me!"

The man stared at her and was taken aback by her outburst but then he shook his head as he threw his hands out when he shrugged. "Like I said, mon princesse–it was just a personality question."

"Of course I know enough to know that you were hiding a few secrets of your own and that you got in a lot of hot water with your daddy earlier today." The stranger added as he walked around Moana, who was forced to turn around to follow him. "You are a little like me in a way–you can't stand being like the others and being trapped and unable to do your own thing is suffocating you. You know that you were meant to shine and someone is trying to keep you in the dark. I know you have dreams and goals, mon princesse, but you can't for reasons either beyond your control or because someone tells you not to do the things you want. And I've experienced enough to know that being selfless isn't going to help you in the long run." He gave her a sideways glance. "Trust me, I've been there and done that. I've been lied to before by someone close to me about how inner beauty can get you by in life. Unlike all your subjects and your family, I can give you a way to get off this island as far as you'd like to go."

"What do you mean?" Moana asked as something in her head was screaming that something wasn't right.

"Well, if you do everything exactly as I say, you can get off this island before tomorrow night." The man shot her an incredibly wide eyed look and a mischievous grin–the effect didn't make him look human and it started Moana for a moment. "You see, I can guarantee that the way things are going, you are going to be stuck here miserable and forever doing what everyone wants you to do instead of the other way around. Now if you are willing to ignore the 'voice'–" His features relaxed back to normal when he used his fingers with one hand to make air quotations on that word "–in your heart and give in to being a little selfish, you can free yourself and get what you desire the most. And all my ideas and back up plans, mon princesse? Every one of them gets you right off the island."

"So what do you say?" He stopped and held a hand out to her. "Want to free yourself from all these people and get off for good?"

Moana stared at the stranger before staring at the hand. She wanted so badly to get off the island after all that happened, yet this was all too good to be true. "Why exactly do you care about what I want?" She asked. "Why me, of all people? I don't see how this benefits you."

"Hey, I recognize a real diamond in the rough when I see one." The man told her. "You got out on a boat one time, but it wasn't enough, was it? Don't you want more of that? To be part of that world?" He gestured out to where the sea was. "Even if one can almost drown in it or if there are a bunch of storms and monsters down below, I can't blame you. The ocean gave me a heck of a time when I tried to get here but its better out there, take it from me."

Moana hesitated and she was about to ask what the man wanted from her when she realized something.

How exactly did he know about the boat and her dad being angry at her in the first place? How did this man get on the island without anyone being aware of him? Wouldn't someone have told her and her grandmother? And how did he–

He mentioned drowning.

Moana paused and looked at his garments and at the strange objects he had that seemed to shine in the firelight. There were not many objects she knew of that could do that and fact some of these strange objects shone so well that the shine was almost a brilliant white.

Something shiny hit her in the eye earlier today and it wasn't the sun. The angle wasn't correct and she wasn't looking at it, so you would have needed something reflective to have the light bounce off.

Then it hit her like a rock to the head.

"You," Moana gasped as she held a hand to her mouth in shock. The man raised an eyebrow at her and, despite her warning scream in her head, she let it out "You were the reason I–!"

Then Moana realized that the man had deliberately lured her away from the village. He knew where to find her and he had something in mind when he got her away when she was all alone. In fact this area had been set up as if he was expecting her to come to him.

She was beginning to be afraid. "I...I just remembered that my grandma will be looking for me." Moana avoided the stranger's gaze as she tried to walk backwards away from him. "In fact I think there might be some people out around this area tonight." She lied with a straight face. "Maybe I could come by tomorrow instead."

She turned around and was about to walk away when she heard the man approach her and grab her free arm in a painful squeeze.

" _You know it's very rude to walk out of a conversation that hasn't ended yet, babe."_ The man's voice came out in a warning hiss before Moana turned around to face him. _"Weren't you taught better than that?"_

The stranger's pleasantries faded and his eyes narrowed at Moana, who now realized that despite his impressive appearance there was something about this man that was wrong. She was just too distracted by her issues and his showiness to see it. She couldn't put her finger on what was wrong with this man, but there _was_ something hiding behind the grandiose surface and within his eyes. Her grandmother's warning on how appearances could be deceiving could not have been more effective in any other situation.

"You were the reason I was blinded on the boat today!" She trembled as she yelled out her accusation. "You caused that to happen and I almost died!" She narrowed her eyes at the man before her. "Did you tell my father about me being out on the sea too?!" She demanded. "Who are you and what do you really want with me?!"

The look of embarrassed surprise in the man's eyes was all Moana needed to know the answer.

"Oh ho, aren't you a clever one." The stranger scowled as annoyance flashed in his eyes.

Moana slowly stepped back as the man got closer to her as he kept his hold on her. "I've yet to meet your daddy, so no I wasn't the reason why he found out, but he's getting too curious for his own good at the moment. The thing is, you have _no_ idea what you got yourself caught up in and I'm afraid I'm going to have to resort to a drastic measure." He made as if to take something out of his clothes.

Moana took no chances–she waved the torch between her and the man as hard as she could. The man recoiled in terror from the torch as fast as he could and almost stumbled backwards but by then she made a run for it.

The man groaned in annoyance as he regained his balance before running after the teenager. "Why did I forget the bloody fire in her hands?!" It was almost as if the person who brought fire to the humans was still around her!

Moana ran as fast as she could as she tried to figure out where she was and how close the village was with her fire in her hand. She might have a chance to outrun the stranger since he had a handicap (it was not the first time she took advantage of something like that), but she had no idea what it was that he really wanted with her and she didn't want to take any chances.

"GET BACK HERE!" The stranger yelled as she heard him coming. "I SWEAR IF YOU DON'T, I'LL MAKE THIS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR YOU!"

Moana chose not to respond back as she ran as fast as she could. Her injured leg was still recovering and was protesting against her actions, but she ignored the pain.

A part of her wished there was someone by her side to help her, but she also felt confident that she could find the village. If she was close enough or else she could see it, then she would yell for help. At the same time, if she yelled for help, he would find her based off the sound of her voice. She once swore to never let herself be kidnapped again and to be ready if something happened, and now that was going to be put to the test.

"I MEAN IT, YOU GET ONE CHANCE TO COME BACK!" He yelled again. The voice that was once so pleasant was now a cause of alarm and fear. "DON'T BLOW IT, BABE!"

Where was she?! She thought she knew this island by heart and yet the darkness made it unfamiliar to her. Any moment the stranger could find her and already it seemed that her insides were starting to hurt from all the running!

She knew that there was a freshwater pond and a waterfall close by if this pathway was familiar in the light of the torch. There was also a set of rocks she could hide behind over there if she was careful, but that meant that she would have to sacrifice her light. It was the only give away to her location and although she was afraid of doing it, she had no choice.

The stranger sounded as if he were getting closer to her. She wished deep down that there was someone by her side and she wanted to scream but she couldn't. Her heart was pounding and adrenaline was kicking in. She could barely even feel whatever she was stepping on underneath her as she ran for her life.

Finally she found the small, narrow pathway that lead to the waterfall and she ran into it. When she finally saw the waterfall and the pond that turned into a stream that headed to her village, she glanced at the rocks, before hurling the torch into the waterfall. She quickly darted right to the rocks and crouched behind them where she was forced to wait. The darkness that she once feared could now become her greatest ally in this time of distress.

" _BABE!_ " The man sang. " _WHERE ARE YOU BABE?_!"

Moana closed her eyes and covered her mouth as her body shook out of fear. Her breathing was already heavy from the hard work and it would be a give away to her hiding spot. _Don't find me, don't find me, don't find me._ She pleaded.

The footsteps slowed down and they got closer and closer to the waterfall.

Moana held her breath. Her family and her friends raced though her mind as she feared what would happen if she was caught.

The footsteps stopped.

Moana pleaded to the gods to divert his attention away from this area.

The steps then sounded as if they were retreating until there was a silence.

Moana looked up to see that there was nothing out there; the sound of the waterfall cascading down into the pound was the only thing to break the silence. It seemed that the darkness was truly her ally for once in her life.

With a huge sigh of relief, Moana got up from her hiding spot and held her face in her hands as she walked around the rocks. She would need to be extra careful getting out of here and she would have to alert the village about the stranger. She needed to get help and she needed to hide in a place where there was a lot of people.

Moana took a few moments to calm herself down and she took a few deep breaths before she lowered her hands and opened her eyes to face the waterfall... and let out a strangled gasp of horror as her heart stopped.

Staring right back at her was a large and incredibly monstrous face. She couldn't make out what it was supposed to be, but it had intense colored markings of garish pink and dark blue on its face and somewhere illuminating the silhouette of its mountain of a head was a bright light blue glow. There was also pink and black colored antennas above its eyes–white eyes that were huge with a small dot of purple in each one and they were staring right at her. The water of the waterfall made the face ripple and distort a little, which only made the overall effect even more sinister.

Moana took a few steps back before turning around as quickly as she could, only to come face to face with the stranger she had been trying to escape from.

But now there was a big change in his appearance–the stranger also glowed in the darkness like the monster in the waterfall. All the peculiar adornments and accessories that he wore now glowed with that same light blue and he too also bore the blue and pink markings on his face. Even the whites of his eyes glowed as their blue color turned into the bright purple that belonged to the monster.

Moana gasped in terror as she turned to try to get away before she found herself facing the monster in the waterfall again. She then hesitated as she stared up at the monstrous face and then realized that there was supposed to be a wall of earth and rocks behind the waterfall and there was _nothing_ behind the stranger to cause that reflection.

"What... what the...?" Moana gasped as her eyes widened while she tried to make sense of what was going on in her state of panic.

The monster's eyes narrowed at Moana and the purple of his eyes changed colors–one became light blue and the other became a garish pink. At the same time, his mouth grew into a big grin to reveal his white teeth which were as crooked as those of the one behind her.

" _Oh, babe, babe, babe_." The monster's mouth moved, but the voice that spoke out belonged to that of the stranger. Moana turned around–her eyes wide with fear–as the man grinned and his eyes also changed like those of the monster's. He took out a strange necklace with a purple shell with golden flecks that gave off a faint glow and he held a hand out to her. " _You really shouldn't have seen that._ "

In her panic, Moana made to run as fast as she could around the man, but he grabbed her when she was close enough and slammed her into one of the walls of earth that trapped her in this area with him. The strength behind the move was far more powerful than that of a normal human being and the force against the wall was enough to almost knock the air out of the young girl. While she was stunned, she fell to the ground and struggled to catch her breath as the man came and bent down to her level.

Moana cried out as the stranger grabbed her neck with one hand, and forced her back up to her feet against the wall. Moana tried to scream but his hold was too tight to the point that he was almost chocking her; she tried to kick at him, but he kept his distance as if he expected it to happen. Instead she was forced to try to pull his arm away from her with her hands and she tugged as hard as she could, but it was futile.

"I can't believe you are the only thing in my way, but I can still use this to my advantage." The stranger growled as he glared at Moana, who now tried to scratch at his hands while kicking at him. He then smirked as the hand that held onto the necklace flipped it in the air within the safety of his grasp before it was dangling down low between his fingers and thumb.

"You humans with your embellishments to stories." The stranger continued with a chuckle as he raised the necklace in front of Moana's face. "Of course there are ways to make them real if you have the right possessions on hand."

"Wh–" Moana struggled to snarl at the man. "What are you doing?!"

" _Ever seen one so shiny_?" The man sang as he waved his free hand and the shell of the necklace waved back and forth in front of Moana's eyes. " _Soak it in because it's the last you'll ever see_."

Moana made to pull to the side, yet the man kept his hold and forced her off the wall and into a position that forced her to bend her knees as she furiously tried to pull his hand away as hard as she could.

" _Ces't la vie, mon ami, I'm so shiny!"_ He sang in a dark cheerfulness as the glow of the shell grew and Moana tried her hardest to break free. _"Now I'll claim you so prepare your final plea, just for me."_ He almost begged it as if it gave him pleasure.

Against her will, Moana's eyes were being drawn to the shell of the necklace that seemed to wave in time to the beat of the tempo of the stranger's song. The more it glowed, the more she was drawn to it and her struggles were slowing down as the whites of the man's eyes and the eyes themselves shifted from blue to pink and back again in a crazed manner and his grin widened.

" _You'll never be quite as shiny,"_ He taunted Moana as her head began to throb and the browns of her eyes were slowly being taken over by a milky purple color. _"You'll wish you were nice and shiny!"_

* * *

In back in the safety of the village, Sina slowly approached the fale of the man who could not speak with a basket of food in her hands. Tala followed her close behind with Pua by her feet and she could only let out a sigh and shake her head when she saw that there was already someone guarding the entrance to the fale with a club in their hands.

"Maybe its better if I never tell them." Sina quietly confessed to Tala as she looked down at the basket. "Maybe I'm not pregnant after all and it was a false alarm. Its not going to make things better." She wanted so badly to tell Tui that she was positive that this was why her body was behaving so strangely lately (there had been so many signs and one of the women who helped deliver newborns that she confided in earlier was also convinced about this), but now it just felt too early to say. In fact, there could not have been a worst time for a feud to strike to prevent her from letting her family know.

"It won't unless you can help mend the bond between father and daughter." Tala advised Sina.

"If Moana chooses to stay with you tonight, please watch over her, will you?" Sina asked.

Tala could only walk up to her daughter-in-law and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She carefully patted it before walking away. "Good night, Sina."

"Good night." Sina responded with a weak smile before heading to the fale and Pua followed after her. When the guard looked up, she held the basket out to show why she was there and he nodded and parted to the side; Sina nervously went inside to see what her husband had done.

The man had been tied to one of the central beams that held the fale up. A rope had been wrapped a few times around both his stomach and the beam he was pressed up against and his hands were tied at the wrists to the point that they allowed some comfortable movement, but they still kept them bound together. He had been forced to the ground in a sitting position and he was slumped over in a dejected manner to the point that his head hung low and his hair hid some of his face from view.

Sina hated the sight and she wished that her husband hadn't gone to this extent.

She walked over and set the basket down close enough so that he could reach the food. "I'm sorry, I can't find a good enough reason to excuse why my husband did the things he did." Sina tried to apologize for something she knew she had no control over. He didn't look up to indicate that he heard her, which made her lose more of her confidence. Even Pua tried to bump his head into the man's leg, but he didn't bother to notice Moana's little friend.

"I'll see what I can do for you in the meantime." Sina tried to say. "If it were in my power I–" There was no point in saying anything that could give him hope at the moment. She would give him an empty promise if she did. She sighed again and got up to turn around but stopped. She wanted to say something–anything–to cheer him up or give him closure, but she didn't know what to say. It was only when she made it to the entrance and Pua followed her that the man finally looked up at Sina. She didn't see the look of regret in his eyes before the light from outside vanished and he was stuck in the dark once more.

* * *

Sina later found her husband lost in thought as he looked at the strange golden brown object in his hands in their fale. She already knew the story behind it, but that wasn't her concern.

"You say that earning trust is important, but isn't Moana's trust in you as her father just as important?" Sina asked as she was determined to follow Tala's advice. "You are afraid of losing her because of what happened in the past, but there are other ways to lose her forever. Could you imagine what would of happened if you did burn down those boats?"

Tui turned his head to look at his wife, but he did not respond.

"If I was in her position, I would have left the island and never came back." Sina hardened her gaze. "I try to avoid picking sides and to help the two of you see the other's views, but you went too far this time, Tui. Moana is also my daughter and I care about her happiness and well being. You cannot burn down those boats or else we could lose her for good."

Tui looked as if he wanted to answer but he could only force his eyes away from Sina, who was angry at this. At least her husband could be able to talk, so this was not excusable.

"Can't you at least let her say goodbye to her friend?!" Sina demanded. "I don't want her to hate you Tui, but you have to at least make an effort to show that you aren't the heartless father she thinks you are! What do you think will happen to her when he leaves the island?! What will happen if you choose to burn down the boats when the visitors leave?! What will happen to this family?! Do you think she would want to sleep in her own home with us ever again?!"

"Eventually she will forget what happened, Sina." Tui could only say.

"Oh and like you didn't forget your friend or your father?!" Sina yelled. It was at this point that Pua crawled away as far as he could from the argument.

"Why would you bring them into this?!" He demanded.

"We can't forget the people who leave strong impressions on us!" Sina threw her hands out. "Especially those we were close to! So unless you try to find a way to fix this situation, you'll be at risk of making Moana think that you were a horrible father to her when you were alive! She's not going to have us in our lives forever!" Sina added.

She had to stop herself from saying anything that could make the situation worse. She wanted to tell Tui that she wanted to be able to go to the other islands herself, that Moana might view the man who could not speak as a better father figure than Tui was when she looked back on those lost to her, that maybe his friend would not have appreciated how Tui was 'honoring' his memory. She needed to get through her husband's stubbornness and make him see before her family was ruined forever.

Sina glanced at the object in Tui's hands. "You should return that back where it came from." She advised with a scowl. "They say its bad luck to take something that belongs to the gods and I would not be surprised if that belonged to one of them."

"Its dark out and we won't have time for that tomorrow." Tui countered. "The owner lost it and they would have come for it if they knew it was missing."

"Then I guess you better not burn the boats." Sina countered. "Because if you're suspicion is correct, then we don't know what will happen if the owner is not a friendly being."

Meanwhile a certain teenager was stumbling through the village as if lost in a trance. The moment she saw the Chief's fale, she paused for a moment to take it in before she straightened herself up and headed towards it with more natural steps.

Inside the fale, Pua sensed Moana approaching and he hurried out to greet her. The moment he finally located her coming towards the fale, he stopped and all he could do was stare in confusion. Sina sensed why Pua had left the fale and she stepped out to see her daughter looking at one of the many torches.

"Moana?" Sina asked as she went to approach her daughter. Strangely enough, her daughter was dressed in an unusual skirt and top that was composed of a strange hue of magenta, with touches of blue and yellow. Even the clothing was somehow adorned with blue–green stones around her neck and what looked like rows of pearls upon the skirts. There was a string of pearls on top of her head like a crown and the only thing about her attire that did not change was the bandages around her injury.

"Moana?" Sina asked again. Moana finally looked away from the fire and her eyes seemed to have a strange look in them like she was somewhere else.

"Mother." Moana nodded with a strange stiffness and a small smile.

"Are you feeling well?" Sina was concerned and found herself holding her hands together. Was Moana still suffering and was this the result of it? She also wanted to know where Moana got that dress, but she was more concerned about Moana's well being.

Moana broke into a slightly wider smile as she straightened her back. "I'm perfectly fine." Moana nodded and spoke in a strangely upbeat tone as if everything was perfectly natural, but there was still something about her that seemed restrained. "I just don't think I can sleep here tonight. I think I'll sleep at grandma's instead."

Pua frowned from where he was as he looked over Moana. Something was wrong about her besides her outfit, which wasn't exactly her style–there was a strange air about her that didn't feel natural. He trotted over to her to see what it was.

"I understand." Sina nodded with a frown as she tried to hide her worries. "I know a lot has happened and I understand if you need to be away from your father for a bit."

Moana's smile twisted for a second and she flinched at the mention of her father. Sina saw the intense flash of anger in her daughter's eyes, but to her it felt perfectly understandable since she wasn't happy at Tui herself right now. "I would like that very much." Moana admitted. At this point, Pua approached his companion and when he tried to push against her leg, she didn't acknowledge him by looking down or petting him like usual.

"Well... I'll see you in the morning." Sina turned around and left, feeling horrible that she didn't have any other way to fix the situation before tomorrow morning. And who knew what would happen tomorrow while each member of her family was supposed to act like everything was ok?

Moana turned around and ignored Pua, who tried to paw at her leg with one of his feet. She went on and walked away without even looking down.

Pua immediately regretted leaving her alone. He was offended that she didn't notice him, but he could tell something was wrong because this behavior wasn't like Moana. He knew something had happened when he left her alone and it had to do with that strange atmosphere from earlier. He had to be extra careful so that he could figure out what was going on and what had happened to her. And that meant that he could not afford to let any of the villagers put him in an enclosure with the other animals.

Moana continued walking and when she passed by the fale of the man who could not speak, the person with a club moved in front of the entrance as if she was going to try to enter it. She only stopped to look at it for one second before glancing back at the fale where her father was. The mask broke as her forced smile darkened into an angry glare and her eyes narrowed at it.

What he did today was _unforgivable_. She would not let him get away with what he had done. Did he want her to be the perfect daughter? Oh she would give him the perfect daughter tomorrow.

She shot her angry look at the person in front of the fale and they almost stumbled backwards in surprise at how intense her gaze was. Satisfied, Moana continued on her way.

* * *

Somewhere not too far from the village, the stranger Moana encountered stood by one of the torches he stole as he examined his arm.

It was a very human like appendage made of flesh and bone instead of a hard shell and when he took the princess' hand to kiss it, it wasn't a claw that was holding her hand and his sense of touch had been heightened to the point that he could actually feel her skin.

He had taken a drastic measure in order to make sure that the human wouldn't get in the way. Granted the ocean had been dead set on keeping him off this island and it was one heck of a struggle for him as it tried with all its might to drag him back into its hold until he finally managed to get completely on the island and away from it.

He knew the ocean was going to give him trouble. It was partly why he couldn't go after the girl when he had his earliest possible chance, because that entity seemed really invested in the current events and it wasn't on Tamatoa's side.

Of course, he knew he couldn't blend in the way he was, which was why he had the foresight to make a back up concoction that didn't last as long as Maui's was, nor did it have the ingredients that took the demi-god's voice or tattoos away. He was not a magical being but he wasn't kidding about how going out into the world would be educational because he picked up quite a lot in the vast ocean besides treasures. He lucked out in learning how to turn into a human, but he never had a real need for that until now.

The moment he had taken the concoction, it was one of the most physically painful experiences of his life next to the loss of his leg. It was like he was being compressed and something was pushing against him, forcing certain body parts to retreat into himself and he had to bite down on one of the many trees to keep himself from screaming before it got too big for him. Even his insides changing was agonizing and especially when his posture was changed so that he would have to stand like a human. He wasn't claustrophobic but he suddenly had a good idea what it was like when that happened and there had been a lot of cursing in addition to the screaming.

He wasn't sure if Maui got the better end of the same deal or not at this point.

It took the once mighty crab a while to get used to the changes, including learning to move like a human, the change in perspective, and a whole lot of other things that were incredibly disorienting to him. Even learning how to readjust holding onto objects took some time and luckily he had enough while he was still observing and forced to hide in an (unflattering) set of rags to cover the splendor and shine of his human form from the unsuspecting mortals.

Being in this form was interesting, but it wasn't enjoyable if he couldn't show it off, if he couldn't see his proper reflection as it currently was, or if it had to come with immense pain with the initial change. Also he wasn't able to get his missing leg back, which was a huge downside.

He did grow a _little_ fond of the human princess and he did appreciate her sincere compliment on his singing. It was disorienting in the fact that he didn't have to do anything to force her to his eye level (and it had been years since he was large enough to be at eye level with a human) but he had been convinced that she seemed to like him and that he had impressed her by being himself. It was a blow to his ego that the only reason why she was comfortable around him at first was because he was a mortal like her at that point and it did prove his point that outer beauty was all that really mattered in this world. However it did make him wonder what the heck she was able to see in Maui if his body had been damaged by the spell, in addition to losing his voice.

But somehow she figured out enough to force Tamatoa to take a drastic measure. It wasn't a big loss because, from what he understood what was going on, he did her a huge favor that was also going to work in his benefit. As long as the princess was away from Maui, Tamatoa's victory would come to pass and it looked like the stakes were raising much higher for the demi-god than ever before. He was even considering stopping by and gloating his victory over the voiceless man, just to add more salt to the wound.

Tamatoa laughed as he took a fish that he stole from the village (it would help with swallowing down some of the concoction that he needed to take to continue hiding from the mortals and to stay away from the ocean) before he bit down on the once living creature and ripped it apart with his teeth to eat it raw. Its insides spilled out and some of it went down his chin before he wiped it away with the back of his hand (even as a human, the taste was still the same to him). It wasn't fresh or still alive like he would have preferred, but beggars can't be choosers.

Tomorrow would be the final sunset and now it was a matter of waiting. In the meantime, Tamatoa now had a sure way to keep the princess away from the demi-god until it was too late for either of them to come to their aid.

* * *

Moana continued walking until she was near a torch that showed her that her grandmother's fale was close by and it was here that she stopped.

" _So you want to get off the island, babe? Well the easiest way to do so is with this."_ The voice of the stranger echoed in her head from before he left her to go off and vanish.

Moana moved her hand so that she could reach for the back of the top that went with her new dress and pulled out a strange object that the stranger had given her. It was beautifully crafted with purple colored tones of some sort of material that felt like hardened tapa cloth and it had pearls spiraling around it, yet the top part was made out of purple coral that had been smoothed down so that it was safe to hold onto.

" _It doesn't matter how you use it. There are many ways you can use it, but each one guarantees a one way trip out of here. Do whatever you like, but I do have one recommendation."_

Moana grabbed the top end and pulled the object out of the beautiful sheath before she could hold it out to look at it.

In her hands was a carefully crafted dagger made from the bone of an undersea animal that had been carefully sharpened to the point that lightly touching it would cut someone and the ends were jagged on one side. A bit of rope tied the topmost and blunt end of the blade onto the coral handle, and the blade itself was long enough that it could cause serious injury if plunged deep enough into a person's body.

" _At the very moment you stop dancing for everyone tomorrow–the moment you stop giving them the person they want to see–go ahead and go after the one person who held you back."_

Moana turned away from the torch to face her family's fale and glared at it. Without any light around, her eyes glowed with a faint purple which was the only clue to the fact that someone had casted a spell upon her. Compassion, love, forgiveness, guilt, sorrow–they had been suppressed in the spell that was controlling her. Instead there was a numbness that dulled down her sorrow and stress, but there was a certain anger that had been amplified in the spell and was patiently waiting to erupt like a volcano.

" _Go ahead and kill your daddy, mon princesse_ _."_

* * *

 **Congratulations to those of you who guessed that the object Moana was holding in her hand in that drawing I did was meant to be the dagger from the original story. Especially to** _ **you,**_ **OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon. Now is the time to start being afraid since the nods to the original Little Mermaid are starting to become more obvious.**

 **I didn't want to do the 'hypnotized into marriage' that was in the original Little Mermaid film because it didn't fit with what I was going for (though I can imagine how Moana would react to both that and who she almost got hitched to if I did) though in some ways I see that this was a lot darker. And kind of ironic considering what's happened to Moana (I do get some Te Ka vibes from this corrupted version of her). I admit that this... isn't the first time I've had a character endure a similar fate/spell, or a strange character referring to the heroine as 'princess' a lot (looks at 'Hyrule Warriors Warped' for a second with a nervous laugh). Of course this is getting to the point where I can't make Moana the damsel in distress forever. It feels wrong to me that I am doing this to her when she was able to save herself and Maui more than a few times in the movie.**

 **I wonder how many people thought that I would make Tamatoa be able to actually hypnotize Moana through voice alone. *laughs* Actually I wonder how many fans were won over by the act he was giving Moana (hand kissing and all) before the cracks in the disguise began to develop.**

 **I was kind of inspired by 'Poor Unfortunate Soul' by Serena Valentino for that one scene near the end where Tamatoa was observing his human form (there is a scene in the book where Ursula observes how Eric is first drawn to her human disguise under her spell). However I'm NOT going to make Tamatoa a sympathetic antagonist or someone who 'needs to be fixed' by someone. I don't know his whole backstory and while I can only make a guess that it wasn't a pleasant one, this is a guy who almost ate Moana in the original film and tore into Maui over his own insecurities. Plus I enjoy writing out a good antagonist when I get one.**

 **And with that, we enter the climax chapters of our story. Its a race against the final sunset at this point and while I need to do a little more research to make sure I get my facts right on a few things, I aim to give you guys something that feels unique as well as familiar.**

* * *

"Thanks." The writer rubbed her wrists and thanked A/N Tamatoa for helping her get free. "Your story self is weird as all heck, you know that?" She took out a special device and stared at two special buttons on her laptop that said 'outtake' and 'fourth wall hammer.'

"Rgh, I want to use these and I had some good ideas, but I should wait a little longer!" The writer frowned in frustration. "Especially considering what might happen next. It won't be as satisfying if I use them now."

"So," A voice asked. "ARE you that kind of fan?"

The writer turned in confusion to the A/N Tamatoa who grinned at her. "Do you want a little adoration from me? This chapter was updated on Valentine's Day." He reminded her.

The writer felt herself panicking as a blush went to her face. "Uh... what?" She stammered. "Uh, no I don't know if–look I admit that I can develop crushes on fictional characters like everyone else but I'm realistic enough to not fall under the delusions of–And I doubt I'd have a crush for you if you existed in real life, but–"

"Oh gods, you stupid little idiot." The A/N Tamatoa huffed as he knelt down beside the reader and grabbed her hand. "Here you go." He took it and kissed the back of it. " _Is that all_?" He asked in a low and very suggestive voice.

The writer's blushing intensified before she collapsed back to the ground with a thud. "Wh... what is going on?" The writer continued to stammer in her state of confusion. "That happened. That actually happened. _Why_ did that happen?! _I thought I was above this!_ " She cried out.

The A/N Tamatoa laughed as he turned back into his crab self. "Ok, seeing you act like that was worth it." He turned to the readers with a grin. "Oh, would some of you readers like some appreciation from me too? Your adoration alone is good enough for Tamatoa."

"I'M GOING TO FIND MY REAL LIFE COUNTERPART AND KILL HER!" The writer screamed.


	10. The final day

**EDIT: I OWE A HUGE SORRY! I've been misspelling taualuga as taualunga this whole time! I feel like I owe a handful of readers a huge apology for getting that wrong!**

 **Well, I'm not doing what I did with that last A/N ever again because of how awkward it was (I hope). Now onto those reviews!**

 **Enigma:** I did mean for this fan fic to be a friendship story, but gradually the importance of family became equally important when I realized how much Moana's family would have tied into the story. Family was an important theme in both stories, even if it didn't seem as big of a deal in Little Mermaid (in both versions when I think about it) and the theme of family is pretty important in this chapter. I don't think Tamatoa would have tried to force Moana to marry him since he doesn't seem like the type, even IF I had used the romance plot.

 **Tamatoa's response to Enigma: 'no comment' accepted. As for the anemone... *looks at other Tamatoa in confusion for a few minutes for they remember* wait, that purple and black thing?! Uh... I honestly have no clue what that thing was. I wasn't talkative, but those who aren't as large as I am met a not so pleasant fate. I could have SWORN they used it for inspiration for a certain horror film or two in... what's that one place called? Japan?**

 **Me to Enigma:** It kind of reminds me of how Samara moves from the Ring, or at least the sequel where she's trying to get out of the well at the end. The way it moved WAS really creepy.

 **Subuku no Jess:** *Hugs back* I HAD to use that song because it worked perfectly, not to mention how much of a connection the musical has to Disney (plus it was my first high school musical and it holds a place in my heart). If Moana heard the actual music to that song, she would not have gone after Tamatoa (I get chills whenever I hear those opening notes). The waterfall scene was a favorite of mine and I was concerned about pulling off the actual hypnotizing moment, but I'm glad you liked it.

 **Tamatoa's response to Subuku no Jess: I'm perfect the way I am and wouldn't change a thing about myself. I didn't realize I was an inspiration to you humans but I am flattered and I appreciate it all the same. *accepts hug with a genuine smile of happiness* And technically if you can't forget me, then in some way you've kept me... kind like that weird 'forever in your heart' sort of thing, but maybe less gushy. *shrugs***

 **Nausicaa of the Spirits:** Wow... uh... well there's a chance that could happen with Tui if all goes according to David Bowie Crab's plan. What movie was it by the way? You got me curious.

 **Tamatoa's response to Nausicaa of the Spirits: So wait... you do or you don't want the kiss on the hand? I know I'm a grabby sort of crab, but I do know where lines have to be drawn. Also Smaug happens to be one of my best mates and a collector that I greatly admire. We used to sneak around this place you know as 'New Zealand' to search for valuables together.**

 **jhalpernkitcat:** If he's charming the readers to some extent, then hopefully that means I did my job. Technically he IS a collector and it works for his human disguise. I couldn't resist making that call back to chapter 3–it was begging to be in there. I loved throwing in the LM references and I ALMOST didn't do the 'jewel tone' joke but it seemed too in character for him to do that. I didn't want him to hypnotize Moana through his singing voice, but I wanted her captivated which can be equally dangerous (and realistic). Still I can't imagine he gets a lot of compliments so he was happy about it.

I used one 'babe' too many but I kept thinking of the David Bowie song where he sings 'babe' a... IS THAT WHY HE CALLED HER 'BABE' IN THE MOVIE?! OMG THAT'S BRILLIANT! Tamatoa's mask cracking and him gradually revealing his true self was a lot of fun (especially the bit with the waterfall) and I felt it would be more realistic if Moana began realizing that something was off about him (it also felt more in character). What is this about a dog? If Moana gets far enough with the murder attempt, she's going to be screwed which is what will work in Tamatoa's favor.

 **Tamatoa's response to jhalpernkitcat: Don't worry, I heard you have someone important to you who might go after me if I tried that. I'm not a huge fan of that nickname because... you would get along with someone who also uses that nickname *glares at Maui, wherever he is***

 **Tamatoa's response to Child of Dreams: Whoa, jeez! Ok, ok, I won't call you that anymore and if I accidentally do, then blame it on her! *points to the writer* I'd say more, but I think we need to keep the rating to a T.**

 **LunaiWolfWings:** Thanks. :) I was trying to lean more on the Ursula side, but Dr. Facilier works too since he also has charisma (and he was my favorite Disney antagonist before Tamatoa took that spot). Wait are you asking ME if I'm their kid, or are you asking Tamatoa? (*looks at self*) I don't think I look like either of them, but I would like to have purple eyes.

 **Dreamer-Sara:** Tamatoa isn't exactly taking control of her, its more like he altered her and suppressed important personality traits and emotions. She acts a little off but its easy to mistake her as trying to deal with what happened before she met up with him. But yeah, I think he gets her in his own way and tries to come off as 'helping' but in reality is trying to keep her away from Maui. I kind of think that his grandmother told him about the importance of inner beauty but he stopped caring/felt that she lied and lashed out at her, which is why I found it odd that he choose to sang about inner beauty to Moana as well as mention her grandmother IN HIS OWN SONG! Why can't they give us a proper backstory when they tease it to us?!

 **Tamatoa's response to Dreamer-Sara/Determined Soul: Ah, so you ARE the one that was trying to connect to us. Sadly for you, the wall is still up though I am curious to know just HOW you are attempting this. Are you perhaps another one of those readers trying to warn Maui, or are you going to send up your prayers to make the sun go faster?**

 **OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon:** COOKIE! *takes it in delight* Thank you! I would like to know why you enjoyed the waterfall scene but I'm glad I made you happy that he finally went bioluminescent in the story. If conditions are favorable in the story, I might luck out in getting in another shift, but I can't make promises. *eats cookie in happy delight*

 **Tamatoa's response to OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon: Thanks ba- uh, maybe I shouldn't call you that since I angered one of the readers when I called them that. *accepts the chocolates* Technically I'm single myself but I know both versions of that day are equally important. If I EVER see my story self, I'm probably going to have a 'word' with him. He's the one who forced me into a human and the transformation was every bit as painful as you'd imagine.**

 **ArmyWife22079:** Its actually a part of Tamatoa, so Sina is not at risk of a miscarriage. Had he confided in Moana or asked Maui about it, then maybe he would have avoided the consequences that happened last chapter and in this one.

 **Tamatoa's response to ArmyWife22079: *VIOLENTLY FLINCHES* HOW THE HECK DO YOU GET ALLERGIC TO SILVER AND GOLD?! Also I'm not a regular shellfish, but if you don't want to take the chances, I understand.**

Tamatoa's response to **Fan de Basil de Baker Street:** _ **LAID**_ **?! COMMENT OSES-TU M'APPELER LAID! *runs towards the reader but forgot about the fourth wall before crashing into it and gets knocked out***

 **Fan de Basil de Baker Street:** *the writer laughs* I don't know how perfect his french was and he may of had help... anyway we shall see. He's going to be a little more of a jerk in this chapter.

 **So I have a bit of tragic news to share regarding the last chapter. On the very same night of the day I uploaded it, my cat of ten years and my family's own animal side kick passed away.**

 **My long time readers may have picked up on how much I love cats and our family's cat (who we rescued from an animal shelter) was special–she had her quirks and she had some flaws, but we loved her regardless. It was a quick death, but it was really depressing and it was hard for all of us to accept that she died on us without warning. If I knew, I would have given her more attention that day, like I could have sat with her and petted her for half an hour. I would have held back from working on chapter 9 that day if I knew what was going to happen. I'm not a huge believer in any particular religion, but I would love to think that she is somewhere happily taking a nap and is doing backflips in the air when someone throws toy mice at her for her to catch.**

 **Please do me a favor and, if you have a pet or your own animal side kick, give them some sort of affection or love right after reading this chapter. Pet them, treat them, forgive them for something they may have done like puking on the carpet or ruin your couch... just please show them the love and adoration they deserve.**

 **Ok... onto the other part of the A/N.**

 **So as I have said many times I have had to do research and one of the fun, yet difficult parts of the research is on that of the Taualuga. I have looked at websites and there is a video documentary on the dance and what it means to different Polynesian cultures to those who have danced it (its on YouTube). From what I gather, it is a dance of grace as well as a way for the dancer to connect to their people, culture and family. It is also a spiritual dance and your feelings must be genuine. I would imagine Moana would have her own version of the Taualuga in her culture and I tried to gather those ideas for what that dance would mean to her.**

 **Of course I also imagine that if someone were to possess or hypnotize the dancer, or interfere in a way that would ruin that tradition, I doubt they would be able to get away with it without some sort of consequence. I wanted to be sure I could still respect the Polynesian cultures and traditions in writing this chapter out, while using a familiar story as a basis, in addition to making sure that what does happen would be believable in the world Moana lives in.**

 **Personally, I do imagine her wearing the ceremonial dress from 'Where you are' as her Taualuga attire since it was inspired by that dance and it seemed fitting for her to dance in. Usually the dancers are meant to wear an oil on their skin to create a sheen to add to their appeal, but I chose not to for Moana as it didn't feel right. I should add that my research states that the role of a Chief's daughter involves specializing in hospitality and being part of important meetings, in addition to performing the Taualuga.**

 **Anyway, if I ever get something wrong or I did something that doesn't come across as intentional in regards to the traditions, please let me know.**

 **(PS I recently saw a box set for a doll version of Moana and Maui together (oar and hook included). It was odd but it was really adorable at the same time to me.)**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: The final day**

And so the long awaited day came and the village was not only prepared for the visit, but they eagerly awaited the arrival of their guests. Minor things did go unnoticed, such as the fact that one rooster had escaped the enclosure or that a pig had hidden himself to avoid being put into a similar enclosure. Otherwise it was a good day with a perfect blue sky, only a few clouds, and calm waters.

It was some point just before midday that the boats finally arrived upon Motonui's shores and many of the villagers gathered there in eager excitement to meet the new faces or even reconnect with some of them. The passengers from the boats were also relieved to see the new faces and to have the freedom to have more space to walk around as well as get a moment of privacy or two after being on the boats with everyone for so long.

After exchanges of greetings had been shared, Tui examined the siblings of the leading family. Hoani hadn't aged too much since he had last seen him, but the confidence was still there. Arataki, the middle child, now sported a tattoo of a shark upon her arm and she seemed to have obtained a deep scar upon the left side her face. Kahurangi, the youngest sibling and the one whom Tui was hoping Moana could see, had grown up quite a bit and was as tall as his brother, but he was more modest in appearance unlike either of his siblings.

"I trust you would need some time to rest or walk around for a bit." Tui began to the siblings. He wore the headdress that marked his status as the village Chief, as did Hoani, whose own headdress was slightly more extravagant with additional adornments.

"It would be nice." Arataki grinned. "There wasn't much excitement out on the sea except for the fishing. Even then we didn't get much."

"I look forward to meeting the rest of your family." Hoani smiled. "I don't think I've met them, nor your daughter who you spoke so much about."

Tui tried to hide his feelings with a wide smile. There was a non-spoken agreement between him and his wife to not speak of what happened the day before. "She should be coming any moment." He turned to his wife, who also wore her own headdress which was less extravagant than her husband's.

"We meant to present a gift to your family, but we misplaced it." Hoani apologized, which made his sister snort for some odd reason. "We _misplaced_ it." He repeated as he shot a glare at his sister.

"It was too over the top for such an occasion, but we do have other gifts such as carvings, combs, and precious stones we found on our travels." Kahurangi quickly threw in. In truth, he was aware of the reason behind the visit and he had little desire to meet the girl his brother wanted him to see as a possible future wife. He didn't want to win the girl over before he even met her, even if he was only a little curious about what she would be like. Even Arataki was not excited about the reason behind the visit, but she came anyway for the need to make sure her older brother wouldn't do anything foolish and anger someone of higher power like he did the last time.

"Those sound lovely." Sina smiled. "Until then, why not enjoy Motonui?"

"Is that her?" Arataki asked as she looked off to one side but then she raised her eyebrow at the sight of the young woman who walked alongside her grandmother. Tui and Sina turned around to face their daughter, who still wore the strange set of garments from last night.

"This is Moana." Tui tried to hold his smile as he wondered why on earth Moana was wearing such a garment and why on earth it had so many pearls and precious stones sewn upon it, in addition to the string of pearls around her head. His wife told him about it, but it was still an odd thing for his daughter to wear, even if it looked a lot fancier than the outfits she did own. Even the villagers and the visitors were interested in the girl's strange appearance and how the garments were designed in such a way.

"Hello." Moana nodded her head in a sharp manner and gave the siblings a strange smile that didn't seem to meet her eyes. Arataki noticed that although the girl would grow up to become very beautiful, she couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by her as if she wasn't acting natural. Even the girl's movements seemed rather stiff, despite the air of grace that she carried herself with. This wasn't exactly the adventurous girl Arataki had heard about as the girl's father introduced her to her siblings as well as herself.

"Perhaps you could show Kahurangi around?" Hoani suggested to Moana, making his intentions a little too clear the younger brother's liking. "My sister is one of our fiercest warriors, but he is more tied to matters around the village back home, such as the crops."

"I can do that." Moana said in a tone that made it hard to tell if she wanted to or not as she gave Hoani an odd look that Arataki didn't like. The warrior could sense that the girl probably knew why they were here and wasn't thrilled about it, but she was getting a bad feeling in her guts that told her that her brother might need someone trustworthy by his side.

"Perhaps you should take Awhina with you, little brother." Arataki quickly added as she turned to her personal guard who was confused by the sudden command. "I'm sure she needs time away from me."

"That would be alright." Kahurangi was surprised by this, but he agreed to it.

"What are you doing?" Awhina whispered to Arataki when she approached the woman, who turned around to put a hand on her shoulder and leaned in, while their Chief shot his sister an annoyed look.

"Keep an eye on the girl." She whispered and made sure no one saw or heard her before pulling away.

Awhina nodded before approaching Kahurangi and the two followed Moana, who lead them back to the village. At the same time, Arataki picked up on the troubled look on the grandmother's face as she watched her granddaughter go off before turning back to the others.

"That is a peculiar dress." Hoani noted as he turned to Tui and his family. "Where on earth did she get that? I would think that she was a goddess of the sea if I did not know any better."

"We don't know." Sina admitted.

"She said it was a gift given to her by someone on this island." Tala came in as she recalled how Moana barely said a word to her that morning and seemed lost in thought. Meanwhile Tui thought back to the object from yesterday as a thought struck him.

"May I ask you something?" Tui began. "You said you have seen precious stones, correct? I have something similar that was found and its been bothering me."

"I will take a look." Hoani agreed and with that everyone either headed their way back to the village or they went to make sure that the boats would not escape back out onto the sea.

Arataki sighed as Hoani quickly joined his sister. "You will not tell them why we don't have the necklace!" He hissed as quietly as he could.

"Oh yeah, I can't say that my brother failed to repay the demi-god who helped us out because he thought the fame would be good enough for him." Arataki hissed back. "Honestly, what was going through your mind?"

"And you suppose you could have given him the supplies we needed after that attack?"

"If I wasn't out at sea protecting us from the monsters that didn't reach us, then yes I would. You are lucky we didn't get cursed for that offense." Arataki rolled her eyes as she tried to scan the village ahead of her. She thought she saw a rooster running around and pecking at some rocks like they were grains but she made no comment on it.

Honestly, why wasn't she the one who had been born first?

* * *

Maui would have been bored out of his mind if he wasn't in a state of constant fear that Hoani would find out about him at some point and come into the fale he was currently trapped in. He should have considered himself lucky that there was an agreement between him and the guards to at least let him leave once in awhile to take care of certain body matters and he didn't try to escape, which helped with earning their trust.

Still he hated being in this state of either being in a panic for the inevitable or just waiting for the sun outside to go down and just end this charade once and for all. He couldn't break free from the ropes, which would have been possible if he had his full strength. He had hidden his necklace behind some of his stuff and he knew that one of the animal teeth attached to it was strong enough to gradually cut the ropes, but he couldn't do that if it was out of reach.

His eyes drifted downward to his arms. He remembered how horrified he had been to see the scars instead of the tattoos and he took that as a sign that the gods knew what had happened and punished him. Yet he had started to notice that some of the scarring was starting to fade away to the point that they weren't as horrific looking as they used to be. In fact some of them had faded to the point that those parts of his skin was becoming smooth again. He wondered if this either due to the amount of time he had spent as a human or if it had to do with his friendship with Moana. If it was the latter, then it made sense–it explained why his back didn't hurt when she touched him the day before. Of course by the time the sun would set he would most likely get back his tattoos and he had a feeling it was not going to be pain-free.

There were times were he wondered what could have been–what would have happened if his mother kept him and he lived his life as a mortal. What kind of things would he have done and would he have had as much tattoos as he did as an immortal? Would he have turned out the same way or would he have had a different attitude on life? Now that he thought about it, he would have been dead long before Motonui came into existence. He would never have gotten to meet so many unique individuals, including Moana herself.

He let out a sigh of regret and rested his head against the pillar. He should not have taken Moana out to the ocean–he should have seen that her father would have caught them. Now he wasn't sure if what he had done was either because he wanted her to be happy or because he had a moment of selfishness and got desperate.

He realized that he had to owe her an apology when the sun finally went down. He ruined her life and needed to try to make amends but a selfish part of him didn't want to face her for too many reasons to count. But what could be worse–the destruction of one girl's family or her feeling that she was just being used as a way for him to get what he wanted?

Gods, he had way too much time to think on these things while he was trapped in the fale overnight.

Meanwhile, the girl in question was leading Kahurangi and Awhina around the village but she didn't speak much about it. In fact she didn't seem to acknowledge anyone who said hello to her and especially not the young children who seemed to be happy when they saw her and waved.

"Your sister wanted me to keep an eye on her." Awhina whispered to Kahurangi. "I think something about Moana bothered her."

"I understand." Kahurangi whispered back before smirking. "I'll make sure you both get some alone time tonight as repayment."

"Oh you rascal!" Awhina teased as she playfully swatted the young man on the shoulder. "What will I ever do with you?"

"I'm sorry, but you aren't supposed to be anywhere near this fale." Awhina and Kahurangi turned around to see that Moana stopped in front of a certain fale, which was guarded by a villager with a spear in his hand that he held out in front of him. "Please, I don't want you to get into trouble." The villager pleaded.

Moana's eyes suddenly turned dark as her hands tightened into fists. "I'm very well aware of that." Her voice sounded like she was trying to suppress her rage with all her might. "But I've already been in more trouble than you can imagine. So don't you _dare_ remind me to never come by here when I pass by."

"I will have to shift positions soon, so I'm not going to be here all day." The guard was nervous as he bore witness to Moana's rising anger. "I mean, I can tell the next person so that you–"

"Well why didn't you think of telling my father that?!" Moana suddenly snapped out in fury, which made everyone flinch. "Its not my problem what sort of agreement you all have behind my back! Just quit reminding me about it and go do your job like my father wants you to! I hope the reward you all get is worth it!"

Both Awhina and Kahurangi stared in shock at the young woman. Was this really the future Chief or was there something going on that neither of them were aware about? Even Awhina placed a cautious hand on the young man's shoulder as she began to wonder if Arataki's suspicion was correct. She watched as the teenage girl panted heavily as she stared the guard down and the poor man was obviously in shock as well as hurt by the response, yet she feared it wasn't in her place to come to his aid if there was a reason behind the girl's attitude.

Awhina was not the only one who was confused by what was going on. Inside the fale, the captive inside heard everything and he was shocked at the outburst from the girl.

Maui hadn't been around Moana for too long, but that reaction was not normal for her. She had been annoyed with him and had moments of anger, but had she ever sounded that nasty to someone before, besides that one time with her dad yesterday? Plus she was a lot better at trying to hide her anger and frustrations around her people (he had been an exception for certain reasons, of course), but something was clearly wrong, especially for a day like today.

Moana let out an annoyed sigh. "Whatever, enjoy yourself later." she waved her hand dismissively and walked away as the other two kept a slight distance away from her.

 _No one needs to remind me!_ Moana internally snarled as her head began to pound. _You don't have to rub it in my face that my father can do whatever he likes or that he can punish me for so much as getting anywhere near the fale! He deserves what is coming to him! A punch to the face wasn't enough to–_

Moana stopped for a moment. Why did her friend bother to stop her father in the first place and hit him in the face if he knew it would get him in trouble? For one second, the anger she was trapped in went down a little and in its place was confusion.

Why would someone go through that risk for her sake? The thought was causing a strange pain inside her chest.

Before she had a chance to think on it, her anger returned and she shook her head. It didn't matter right now as she needed to try to keep her anger contained before it became too much of a concern to the others. She had to wear the mask for as long as possible until her moment would come to pass. She could still feel the knife between her top and her skin, reminding her that her freedom would soon be at hand. _Give them the person they want to see until its time._ She reminded herself.

"I'm sorry." Moana quickly turned around to face Awhina and Kahurangi with a wide smile. "I've been under stress. You know that goes."

* * *

Elsewhere, Tui showed Hoani and Arataki the golden brown object outside his fale. "It has a stone like quality, but I do not know what it is." He told them. "I thought perhaps you could let me know."

"I've seen all sorts of stones and I have heard of some that can only be found deep underwater or on lands that would take months to reach, but I've never seen anything like this." Hoani admitted as he took the object and looked it over.

"You know its funny, but it reminds me of something." Arataki looked at the object. "I heard that few can ever find stones or objects that shine like this. You would have to be very lucky if you do and perhaps only the gods themselves have them, but some monsters tend to be attracted to these."

"What kind of monsters?" Tui asked.

"I could have sworn I saw a creature that wore some of these on his back, but I was in a rush to get back to our island and I couldn't make out what he was." Arataki explained. "I knew it was a monster because he tilted slightly and I could see that it was a shell underneath what we thought was a small mountain of treasures. He was too big to go after, so I just said 'nope, I'm out' and got us out of there."

Why did this sound faintly familiar to Tui? He couldn't put his finger on it. He wanted to ask his mother since she was an expert on monster lore, but she had other matters to attend to so he would have to save it for later.

"If you think it was from a monster, just put it back where you found it." Arataki advised. "I wouldn't keep it if it were me."

"Thank you." Tui sighed in relief as he wrapped the object up. As he did, he felt a sensation as if he was being watched and looked up for a second. "Something wrong?" Hoani asked.

Tui shook his head. "Its nothing."

Unknown to Tui, a figure in a garment of dark browns and greens had been watching some distance away and he was giving him a dark glare.

* * *

Time gradually passed until eventually it was time for the festivities to begin. Normally these would be reserved for when the sun would set, but Tui and Hoani agreed that the visitors would need time to rest before morning came so that they would have light to guide them back home the next day.

Everyone–villagers and visitors–stood or sat around the large area between the community fale and Chief Tui's fale. They all shared in the food and the drinks that were passed out as they talked amongst themselves and got to learn each other a bit more. Moana herself helped pass the drinks out along with a few women, but she merely nodded in acknowledgement whenever she was thanked.

"How was she?" Hoani whispered to Kahurangi when he sat by him. "Can you see yourself courting her?" Kahurangi looked at Talia, who was helping out with serving, and he politely returned her beaming smile that she sent to him with one of his own before responding to his brother.

"She's not talkative." The younger brother whispered back with a frown. "But I think something is going on and she's not in the best of behaviors right now."

"But do you think you can court her?"

"You know I have my eyes on another back home." Kahurangi angrily whispered back.

"I don't approve of the match." Hoani replied with a glare. "I know you can do better than someone who just sits around all day."

Kahurangi just scowled at his brother and looked away as Tui finally got up to face everyone.

"Thank you for coming to Motonui!" He addressed the visitors with a smile. "I am glad to see that all of you have had a chance to enjoy yourselves after being out on the sea for so long! It must have been quite the adventure!"

Elsewhere near her mother and grandmother, Moana felt her head pounding as her anger began to rise out of jealousy towards the visitors. How dare her father say such things out loud as if he were mocking her!

"We ourselves do not venture out so often, so we appreciate that you had came here!" Tui continued. "Until then, please enjoy what entertainment we can offer to you!"

The musicians and the singers gathered in one spot and prepared themselves as the young children of Motonui came forth to start the entertainment with their dancing. Some audience members were in awe at the sight of the children in their outfits while many a pleased parent smiled to the little dancers.

"Promise me that you will at least give him a chance tonight." Tui whispered to Moana as he passed by her. He didn't see the violent flinch she made or how her forced smile twisted as the anger flashed in her eyes, but Sina noticed it and she frowned. She thought about what she warned her husband and prayed that Moana was not going to do something like try to sneak away with the visitors the next day. Moana looked like she could explode even when trying to wear a forced smile.

Sina was unaware that Moana's anger was being carefully built up for a specific moment, or that the reason behind it was within her village.

* * *

Maui could hear the music in the distance outside the fale, but he could also tell that the light in the fale was changing and the final sunset was coming a lot faster than he anticipated. Perhaps the sun was aware of what was going on and was out to get revenge on him by speeding up the day. He would not be surprised if that was the case.

Before he could think of what kind of insult he could give to the sun, he heard the guard (who had switched out with the last one) say "Oh! Thank you!" in delight. He barely cared about what was going on outside and ignored it. "Say, aren't you one of the visitors?" She asked the other person after a few moments. "I don't think I've seen you around–" There was a pause "Around–" She sounded like she was lost in thought as her words slowed down. Seconds later there was a strange thumping sound as if she had collapsed onto the ground.

 _She probably couldn't hold whatever she was given._ Maui thought as he shut his eyes and listened to the strange uneven steps from outside the fale. They went around the building and stopped behind him for a moment until Maui passed it off as someone trying to get away from the guard before they were caught.

He opened his eyes in confusion when he heard one of the tapas behind him open up. He tried to turn his head to see who it was, but he couldn't because of how tight his binds were. If he did, he would have seen a strange man in very familiar looking adornments and who only had one leg. The man outside tossed the green and brown outer garment way to reveal the true splendor underneath before he turned his attention to the captive.

Tamatoa smirked as he saw the state of his former friend. He walked towards Maui and stopped slightly behind the beam Maui was tied to where he placed his hand upon it for support. He tapped his fingers against it as he deliberately built up the anticipation for this long awaited moment.

"I guess humans can't handle a little sleep inducing ingredient in their drink." He finally said in a nonchalant tone while Maui froze in shock and let out what should have been a sharp gasp.

He knew that voice; he would recognize it anywhere. How the heck was he hearing it so close to him and why wasn't it sounding as if it came from a large crab monster?!

"Missed me, mon ami?" Tamatoa grinned down at Maui. "Let me guess." Tamatoa tapped his fingers against the beam again. "You are thinking ' _Why is he here? How did he get here_?' Or maybe _'why does he sound so close to me?'_ "

"Here's the thing, Maui." Tamatoa began as Maui tried to get a better look at him "That concoction you took was meant for someone of my size and I added a few things in specifically for you. In my case, it would last a day, but if I wanted to keep up the masquerade I would need only a small amount of what you took."

Maui paused for a second as he realized what was going on; did Tamatoa seriously turn himself into a human? Why? That seemed odd for someone as vain as him.

"Now you are probably wondering how I found you, right?" Tamatoa reached down and grabbed a handful of Maui's hair before pulling as hard as he could to the point that Maui let out a voiceless yell and he scrunched his face up in pain. Tamatoa look out the necklace with the shell that contained Maui's voice and dangled it out so that he could see it, but could not reach it in time if he tried to grab it. "You know, its funny you actually tried to speak without your voice for the past three weeks." Maui himself stared in surprise at the object that was glowing purple for some odd reason.

"Because every time you did, I heard every word of it." Tamatoa explained. "Every time you cursed me out or had a fit, your voice was still in use even miles away from its owner. The very moment you said 'Motonui' I knew exactly where to find you. Granted it took a long time because the ocean was so insistent on keeping me away and it gave me a hassle when I tried getting onto the island a few days ago. The Chief picked up on it, but it won't do him much good later on. You see, I found his precious daughter and I put a little charm on her to take care of him."

Maui felt his heart stop as the blood drained from his body when he heard Tamatoa mention Moana.

"See, I used this– the same shell that contains your voice–to hypnotize her and now she can barely feel any emotion except raw anger towards her daddy. So the moment she finally stops dancing at their event, she's going to lash out and kill him if she doesn't go after anyone else. Or herself if she's _that_ desperate for freedom."

Maui's horror increased as Tamatoa continued. "See, I would have tricked her into thinking that the other family stole something of mine, but she was getting too clever for her own good and saw more than she needed to." Tamatoa then let out a sigh as he realized what Maui would probably think next. "And before you ask Maui, no I didn't do anything horrible to her last night besides the hypnotizing." He paused. "Ok, maybe I choked her a little, but even I know where to draw the line."

' _Why would you do that to her?!'_ Maui tried to yell. _'What good does that do for you?!'_ Then he realized something. If Tamatoa knew as much as he did now, then he already knew how close Moana was to Maui, which meant that he was deliberately sabotaging his chance of turning into a human for good. Which also meant that Maui put Moana in danger whether he meant to or not.

"You know, I thought you were just aiming really high, but I can see why you like her." Tamatoa continued. "Reckless, adventurous... pretty quick to pick up on the fact that I had a hand in that little 'accident' on the boat, but not really quick or strong enough to get away from me when she caught on."

Maui swore that his heart stopped again when he realized what Tamatoa was trying to imply. In fact it suddenly made way too much sense for Maui to take.

Tamatoa–who was too large and too shiny to be able to hide or blend in up on the surface, yet somehow found a way around this–had been there that whole time and Maui _never_ picked up on it. And now Moana was trapped in their feud and was going to be forced into a horrible situation because of his stupidity.

"Did you honestly think I was helping you because I _forgave_ you for what happened?!" Tamatoa furiously snapped at Maui as he pulled at Maui's hair to give him more pain. "I _never_ forgot what happened! You just had to tear my leg off, didn't you?! Despite what you might think, not all your actions are exactly as heroic as you'd like to believe! You can't just tell me to not speak the harsh truths when you've have done a few unheroic things yourself! Friends don't chop off each other's limbs!" Deep down, Tamatoa did feel betrayed over what had happened and he would have never attempted to have been friends with Maui if he had seen that coming. "So seeing you suffer is giving me immense satisfaction!" He yanked at Maui's hair as hard as he could and the former demi-god let out another voiceless yell. _"Being unable to save anyone when you know what's going to happen is horrible, isn't it?!"_ He hissed in Maui's ear before he calmed down.

"Ah, isn't it a shame?" Tamatoa sighed as he looked at the necklace in his hand as Maui winced from the pain. "Without your voice, you can't prove that girl's innocence in time, can you? Who knows what kind of punishment they have for murder?"

"I mean I suppose you can try if you can face them after the sun sets. That is if you still feel like you are a hero to those people." Tamatoa said as he moved the necklace away and let go of Maui before getting back up. "You'll get your voice back when that happens, and then you can explain why you weren't there to stop the princess." He then mockingly patted Maui on the head and let out a dark chuckle before he mockingly sang. _"So what can I say except 'you're welcome'?"_

Tamatoa let out another laugh as he walked away while Maui struggled to see what Tamatoa looked like as a human so he could find him and punch him in the face when he had the chance. "See you after sunset, mon ami!" Tamatoa almost sang in a mock cheerful tone and waved at Maui before he left the fale.

Maui tried to break free from his binds and pulled his hands away from each other as hard as he could, but the ropes were too strong. Normally he would give the humans his approval, but now he was too angry and desperate to care. He pulled as hard as he could and tried to pull away from the beam but the binds wouldn't budge and he was stuck.

In a desperate attempt to do anything to get out, Maui moved his wrists to his mouth and tried to use his teeth to bite down and tear at the ropes. He didn't care how long it took, he had to get free and help Moana before it was too late.

Around this time, the children concluded their performance and when they received their applause, they left and allowed a group of girls to come forth and sing before they would perform their own dance.

"Come on." Sina patted Moana's arm as Tala got up and headed towards the family's fale. "Its time to get ready." She reminded her daughter. There would still be some time before Moana concluded the festivities with her dance, but she needed to get dressed ahead of time.

Moana finally got up and joined her mother without any sign of nervousness for what was to come.

Moments later in Maui's fale, the voiceless man tried to desperately tear at the binds with the sharpest of his teeth but it wasn't enough. He would need to be a shark to attempt such a thing and that exact tooth of that beast was on the necklace that was in his fale but it was too far from his reach.

At that moment one of the tapas for the entrance moved in front of him and he felt his heart stop when he thought he would get caught. Instead it was a familiar looking bird that seemed to have wandered off again without being aware of it.

Maui could not believe his luck but he almost wanted to laugh in relief when he saw Heihei–the bird wasn't bright, but he had a beak that might work just as well as a shark tooth. He lowered his wrists down as far as he could and spread his legs aside before waving his wrists a little to get the bird's attention.

By some insane miracle, Heihei bought it as he clucked in interest at the new thing to peck at. He trotted up to Maui's wrists and the demi-god made sure that Heihei could reach the ropes to peck at them. He beamed with joy when the bird then proceeded to peck at the ropes and even if Heihei hit his hands, he was just glad that luck was on his side.

His smile then grew small as he realized something–how long would it take for Heihei to break at least one of the ropes and would the bird retain his attention long enough to help him out?

Heihei _would_ be dumb enough to keep pecking at the ropes, right?

* * *

At this point the festivities were halfway done and the sun was getting closer and closer to the ocean out on the horizon. All the entrances to the Chief's fale had been closed to allow privacy for the last dancer to get dressed.

Both Sina and Tala assisted Moana in preparations for the taualuga that she was to perform by helping her put on the ceremonial dress. The vibrant reds in the attire suited the girl, along with the armbands upon her arms and wrists, in addition to the anklets. The shells, flowers, pearls, and other additional elements and details that were part of the attire made her look more like a daughter of a royal family than she ever had been. Normally Moana would have also worn a special coconut oil upon her skin to give her a slight sheen, but for some reason it just didn't seem to be a good idea this time around, so the girl's exposed skin remained the way it was.

"Here." Sina helped twist Moana's hair up before she went to carefully take a beautiful and well crafted headdress and placed it securely on the girl's head so that it would not fall off. She stepped back and admired her daughter's appearance–it never ceased to amaze Sina how beautiful Moana was becoming with each passing year. "You are going to be spectacular." Sina tried to encourage Moana. "I know you will."

"Thank you." Moana gave Sina another stiff smile and her words seemed hallow and almost forced. Sina was a little upset by this, but she could only smile and leave the fale to rejoin her husband. She was convinced that Moana was still unhappy but she wished the girl could try to be a little more excited about her big moment. Maybe deep down Moana was just a little nervous.

Tala had observed the interaction before she turned to Moana. "So," She began. "You insist on going through with this. Do you really feel that you can perform this dance with all your heart?"

Moana gave a sharp nod, yet Tala was not entirely convinced. Like the others, she believed that Moana was trying to hide her anger, but something about Moana's behavior did not seem normal, even for her. She already heard a rumor about Moana having an outburst and that she had been unkind to the guard outside the fale that she wasn't supposed to be around.

Tala felt her hand go to the necklace around her neck and grew thoughtful. "I know that anything I say cannot remedy the pain you feel before you begin, but I want you to know that we are always here for you." She undid the clasp behind her necklace and took it off.

Just like when she had thought about the sacrifice her friend had made, the action stuck confusion into Moana's enchanted mind. What was her grandmother doing? Moana watched as Tala moved her arms around her own neck and connected the two ends together so that she now wore her grandmother's necklace. The necklace reached the neckline of Moana's attire and while the pearls of the necklace matched those of the dress, the near iridescent blue of the shell contrasted against the reds, yet it still looked as if it could belong to the girl's overall appearance.

"The shell of this necklace is a family heirloom passed down from as far back as Matai Vasa's days as our leader." Tala explained to Moana, who was starting to feel that strange pain in her chest again. "It serves as an embodiment to our connection to both land and sea as well as connecting our generations together. It was worn as both a symbol of pride and as a way to never forget who we really are."

Something buzzed in Moana's head and in her heart. An emotion that had been suppressed by the spell was struggling to come forth and when she felt the tears in her eyes, she couldn't remember what it was. She looked at the shell at the end of the necklace and she tried to remember what it was that she was feeling and she let out a deep sigh as a tear escaped her eyes. Whatever this feeling was supposed to be, it was hurting her physically and internally.

Tala smiled as she reached out to stroke Moana's face. "Whatever happens, whatever path you choose, know that you will always be my granddaughter. Do not let anyone change who you are." She gently wiped the tear off her granddaughter's cheek. "So long as you wear this, may you remember who you descended from and remember that we will always love you."

The emotion in Moana was struggling to force its way out and break the spell to bring back her real self. She took a deep breath and went to hug her grandmother while a part of her was still able to break free with the power of that unknown emotion (or was it a feeling?). The part of her that knew she was under a spell tried to reach out, but it was extremely difficult to the point that she could only get out a few words.

"W... when I stop dancing." Moana struggled to whisper in Tala's ear. "I... I won't be–"

The spell finally won over, forced the emotion out of Moana, and reverted her back to her enchanted state of mind. The girl's hold on her grandmother stiffened for a moment before she let go and moved away. "Thank you." Moana gave Tala that strange smile as her eyes had a strange look in them. "I promise to make you proud."

Tala gave Moana a frown and wondered what Moana was trying to tell her. "What did you try to say to me?"

"I didn't say anything." Moana shrugged. "I think I need some time to myself."

Tala was even more confused at Moana's behavior, yet she went to get her cane and moved a tapa aside to walk out of the fale. Still she pondered over Moana's words and if it somehow tied into the girl's behavior today.

When Moana was alone, she looked at the necklace and held it with care. She had no idea what just happened to her and what the necklace did, but she didn't like the emotion it gave her. She didn't like the pain that came with it or the feelings of doubt it caused in her, but she had no idea what they were. So long as she could finally release her anger, she might never have to feel that confusion or those doubts ever again.

She heard one of the tapas move and briefly allowed sunlight in before it shut and she heard the sound of uneven steps coming towards her.

"Ah, that looks good." She turned around to face the stranger who had cursed her in the first place and she let go of the shell. He admired her extravagant attire but his eyes were drawn to the headdress in an almost hungry like manner. "The royal family really go all out, don't they? I really admire the craftsmanship." The stranger went over to examine Moana's headdress and she made no attempt to get away.

The stranger took a moment or two to look her over before his eyes landed on the beautiful shell and pearls in the necklace that Moana had been given. "Oh, what is _this_ little beauty?" He grinned and reached out towards it.

Not even a second later, Tamatoa found Moana grabbing onto his hand with a great amount of strength and her nails dug into his skin as deep as they could. When he looked into her eyes, he could see an all too familiar look– _'touch my stuff and you'll regret it.'_

Moana herself knew that she could not let this man take the necklace away or even get his hands on it. Even when under the spell, she knew that she didn't want him to take it because it was something _given_ to her by someone she held no anger towards. It was something that deep down she recognized was _important_.

Tamatoa withdrew his hand and she let go of him. "Ah, right. I get mad when others go after my stuff too." He admitted. "I respect that." He turned around to find the piece of gold that the Chief had found and he went over to grab it. "In fact, I make them regret it."

He picked up the golden piece that was one of the 'scales' he wore on his legs in his true form before tucking it away in his belongings. He had little time to clean and polish it now so instead he went over to the dress and pearls he had given Moana and saw that the dagger was barely poking out under the top. "And that means you need to take care of _my_ stuff since its on loan." He added with slight annoyance as he took the dagger, which was still in its sheath. Really, the dress was meant to be a way to rub his possession over the girl in Maui's face, but he soon realized that maybe her father would get on edge and try to seek him out if he made the connection between the dress and the scale. It was another reason why he needed to hide himself from the others for a little longer.

"And remember that this dagger is a one way ticket off this island for good." Tamatoa reminded Moana as he played with it in his hands for a bit as he approached Moana. "So you have to treat it with care." He held the dagger out to Moana and the girl shot him a blank look and a frown before she reached out and accepted it.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter how you use it." Tamatoa said as the girl held it in both hands and looked at it. "You can even make it look like an attempted killing without getting your hands dirty, so long as they get the picture." He walked around Moana and placed his hands on her shoulders as he glanced around her headdress to look down at her.

Moana was feeling that strange painful sensation again as she saw the dagger and she trembled as she tried to suppress it. A strong part of her wanted to use it, and yet something deep within was begging her not to and it was getting on her nerves. She didn't need this feeling when she would dance for the others.

Tamatoa grinned down at the girl. "In the end, it's your call so long as you give into it. I can help you out by strengthening your resolve on the sidelines but it has to be you and you alone. Remember that in the end none of them care about how you feel, no matter what they say. All that matters is what you want."

"Every time I get this weird feeling, my chest hurts." Moana finally admitted to him as she stared at the dagger. "I don't want to feel that way when I dance, I have to look happy for them when I do. It has to be genuine."

Tamatoa grew thoughtful for a moment. "Then... how about I help you direct the pain somewhere else? Like say... your hands or your feet?"

"I _need_ to be able to dance." Moana hissed.

"Then I can't help you. Otherwise I'll have to make it so that you can't feel any emotion and they'll pick up on the fact that something is wrong, right?"

Moana let out a sigh of annoyance as she made her choice. "I need to be able to use my hands more than my feet."

Tamatoa grinned as he took the necklace out. "Whatever you say, mon princesse."

Moments later outside the fale, Pua was trying his hardest to stay nearby while keeping away from the humans (he was forced to leave the village for a bit when he almost got caught by one of the villagers). He could sense that strange mana somewhere close by, but where was it?

" _What a lovely ruby jewel you'll make, my dear you'll look divine."_ Pua paused as he heard a man singing in the fale. _"Things are working out according to my ultimate design."_ He peered inside under one of the loose tapas to see Moana and in front of her was a man who had a strange necklace in his hand that he waved in time to the song. When Pua looked closely, he could see that Moana's eyes had turned purple. _"Soon you'll have your precious freedom and then sweet revenge will be mine!"_ The man belted out and Moana let out a sharp gasp and gritted her teeth in pain as she knelt to the floor while squeezing the handle of the dagger as tightly as she could.

"Break a leg, babe!" Tamatoa laughed as he spun the necklace in his hand. As Moana hissed through her teeth to fight off the feeling of stepping on a really sharp blade, Tamatoa walked away. Seconds later, the purple in Moana's eyes faded away and she slipped the dagger–sheath and all–in the back of her top where it would stay in place.

Tamatoa almost wanted to keep laughing as he walked out of the fale, while at the same time Pua hurried to follow him and came to a stop when the stranger went outside. Immediately the pig felt the contained mana radiating off this man and he knew without a doubt this was where that strange feeling from last night had came from. He trotted quietly as he could towards the man as he let out a chuckle. "This is almost too easy." He then took out the necklace with a purple shell and strange golden flecks while the shell itself gave off an unnatural glow. "So long as the spell is intact and the girl stays angry, Maui will never get this open." He smirked before his voice lowered. " _And so long as Maui can't open it, he won't get his voice back in time to help her_."

Pua had to stop himself from letting out a squeal and instead he was forced to take a path that wasn't in the man's view as he realized what was going on. This person was why Moana was acting strange and if that necklace contained Maui's voice then that meant the man was actually–

Pua hurried as quickly as his feet could carry him. He needed to get to Maui and fast before something bad would happen.

* * *

As Maui suspected earlier, Heihei's beak was not enough. The bird made some progress, but it just wasn't enough for him to be the hero of the day.

A loud squeal made Maui raise his head up and this time it was Pua who came in. The pig squealed his head off and kept hopping up and down in a frantic dance, but Maui had no idea what was going on. The pig's freak out was enough to startle Heihei, who quickly backed away from Maui's writs and tried walking over his leg.

Just as Maui was about to let Pua know that he was _trying_ to escape, he felt an odd sensation on his chest that he had never felt in almost three weeks; it was like something was moving upon his skin. He looked down and was more than surprised to see a familiar tattoo he thought he had lost forever.

Pua stopped squealing when he saw Mini Maui and the tattoo quickly waved at the creature; he shoved some of the markings on Maui's chest away before he did a very quick pantomime to try to let Pua know what was going on. He made a tattoo version of Tamatoa appear and Pua watched as the crab shrank and changed into an almost exact replica of the man he saw with Moana. He then took the necklace out and Pua watched in horror as the man waved it in front of a tattoo version of Moana who appeared beside him. She then took a knife out and turned around to face her father but she rushed over to Tui and plunged the knife deep into his chest with a crazed look in her eyes before the Chief collapsed to his death.

Pua frantically nodded to show that he not only understood, but that he saw what had happened. When all the characters vanished, Mini Maui reappeared and held up a tattoo version of Maui's necklace. He pointed to the sharp teeth that were attached to it before pointing at something behind Pua. The pig turned around and sure enough there was Maui's necklace hidden away in the fale and barely within view.

As Pua went to get the necklace, Mini Maui had to look up in order to see his host looking down at him with disbelief.

' _YOU WERE HERE THE WHOLE TIME AND DIDN'T TELL ME?!'_ Maui mouthed what he wanted to yell at the tattoo. _'WHAT THE HECK?!'_ The tattoo shot him an annoyed look as Pua dragged the necklace to Maui, who quickly recovered and tried to grab at the shark tooth before he realized that the ends were too flat to use on the rope. Instead there was a tooth with a section that was broken off but it had a sharp fragment that was left behind that he could use instead. He pointed at it and held his wrists to Pua to show that he needed help. The pig knew what he had to do and grabbed the tooth in his mouth before proceeding to try to cut the rope while Maui tried to pull his wrists away from each other to add pressure to the rope and make the job easier for Pua.

As Pua did his work, Maui looked down at Mini Maui who gave him a friendly wave before he gave him a mischievous grin and pulled something out for Maui to see.

Not only was the tattoo still around, but it had seen enough to keep track of Moana and Maui's interactions to keep score of their wins against each other. Even though both of them had a zero for some reason, Moana had way more tally marks than Maui did, which made him flinch in shock (and out of wounded pride). _'Oh come on!'_ He snapped at the tattoo before he remembered what Tamatoa said and was forced to just mouth the next words. _'Look I'm sorry, ok?'_

The tattoo just held up his hand in peace before pointing to the figure that represented Moana to remind him that right now he was focused on her as much as Maui was. Maui sighed in relief as he looked up to try to guess how much sunlight there was left. He could tell that he wouldn't have a lot of time left, but what made him worried was when the music from outside ended. Moana's time to dance was going to happen really soon and if he couldn't find Tamatoa and get the necklace in time, then he would have to go out and stop Moana himself in front of everyone.

* * *

After the musicians concluded their piece, the villagers and guests gave their applause before Tui stood up and waited before they finished and could give him their attention.

"Before we conclude this event with our final performance, I would like to once again thank you for visiting Motonui." Tui began. "We have lived in a time of peace for many years without having to know war or famine and I hope that your time here has been a chance to acquire a similar peace."

"It definitely has." A visitor agreed as a few others murmured in reply.

"It is my pride and honor to present the conclusion of this small ceremony to you with the one who shall succeed in my place and who has taken on much of the preparations for this day." Tui gestured to his fale and all eyes turned to see two villagers move two tapas aside so that his daughter could step out and reveal herself in all her glory. Many were impressed at the sight, while others smiled with pride; Moana truly was a vision to behold.

As Moana felt those eyes upon her, she could feel an internal struggle within herself.

 _I have to think of something that makes me happy for this dance to work. I need to think of the ocean._

 _Act like the daughter he wants you to be and smile through the pain._

 _Think of your people._

 _They don't care what you want. Why should you care?_

Moana forced a smile and proceeded to walk towards the community fale with all the grace that was expected of the daughter of a Chief, but each step gave her the feeling like she was stepping on a blade or a sharp piece of coral. Had her feet actually been cut, she doubted she would have been able to dance. _What if that's what he wants?_ A small voice tried to cry out in her head, but she ignored it as she had been advised. Once this dance was over, the pain would eventually end and she would be free.

Moana ignored everyone's gaze as the part of her that was still rational tried to remember the steps and the advice that was given to her. She had to be graceful, she had to be like the water, her ancestors were on her side–

This shot a larger burst of pain into her feet and she had to take a deep breath.

When Moana came to a stop, a few singers and musicians gathered behind the girl in a half circle as her family smiled at her.

 _This goes against our beliefs... no I have to do this... they will always make me do this..._

Moana simply smiled as her father nodded to the performers. She heard the music play before she raised her hands to the sky to begin the dance. She had to make it look like she would bestow love and gratitude to her people as her arms lowered and gestured out to her people.

All watched in awe as the girl moved her arms and hands with an air of grace as if they were the waves of the ocean itself. Slow and steady and gentle they moved to express the love of her village and her heritage and when she moved her feet, they were slow and steady and never too fast. When the singers began to sing, it seemed to heighten the girl's power.

In truth, Moana was trying to not let the pain she felt be too obvious. Every time she was able to use her hands and arms instead, it was a blessing. The part of her that was trying to fight the spell was trying to remind her why this dance was important–she could not be selfish. She had to think of her people and she had to think of the ocean which was the one thing that could give her any joy. Even if those strange feelings from earlier came and forced the pain into her feet, she had to keep dancing as some sort of spiritual calling was trying to fight against the spell. If anyone was closer to the young dancer, they would have seen what was going through her mind within her eyes and they would have known that this dance was not a complete reflection of who she was.

 _Move like the waves... move like the birds_. Moana tried to chant to herself as her hands glided through the air and bobbed up and down. Moments passed her by and she tried to make them count with each gesture and each step, no matter how uncomfortable it was.

 _Think of the ocean._ She tried to tell herself.

Tala felt a strange instinct to look away from her granddaughter, as if a hand had tapped her on her shoulder. When she did, she didn't see anything strange at first until she saw a man resting against one of the beams that held the community fale up some distance away from the others. He was dressed rather strangely in unusual adornments and garments and he was holding a strange looking necklace with a purple shell in his hand. Tala looked carefully and noticed that he was also missing a leg, which explained why he was resting against the fale.

The man looked at Tala and his blue eyes were locked with hers for a moment before giving her a smug look that screamed extreme vanity before he looked back to watch Moana. Something about him made Tala feel extremely uneasy and she turned to Sina to ask "Was there a man with one leg that came with the visitors?"

Sina looked when Tala nodded at the man and she frowned. When the stranger moved his head to look at her, Sina turned to her husband and asked "Did you recall seeing a man with one leg who came with the visitors? I don't."

"What does he look like?" Tui asked without looking away.

"He wears adornments identical to the object you found."

Tui felt his heart stop for a moment. He wanted to see this man for himself, but he didn't want to take a risk and ruin the festivities. "Keep an eye on him." He advised his wife.

* * *

At this point, Pua had finished cutting the last of the ropes around Maui's wrists and his hands came free from their binds. The demi-god gave the pig a smile of thanks before grabbing the tooth and made to cut the ropes around his body. If he got the right one, he wouldn't need to cut the rest but he had to hurry because he recognized the song and knew that Moana was dancing now. Also the little light he did have from outside was gradually vanishing and he had a strong feeling that Tamatoa already planned on taking away his reputation as a hero to all if that was the reason why he was here in the first place. Why else would he go to the extent of trying to ruin the lives of the villagers and especially the Chief's daughter though a completely unnecessary scheme?

* * *

Moana still continued to dance and tried to hide her discomfort as best as she could. When she saw the faces of the onlookers, she could not see any suspicion in their eyes and she had to force her anger down when she saw her father smiling at her.

This dance was slow, but it would end and in the meantime she had to carry herself with that air of grace. Each move gave her power that she was supposed to give back to her people. _They don't deserve it. They didn't come to stop your father or protest hard enough on your behalf._ Another voice within Moana reminded her and another round of pain shot into her feet.

She didn't know why, but as time went on, she swore she could hear voices around her.

" _Be brave child, don't give in."_

" _Matai Vasa is there anything we can do to stop this?"_

" _We cannot do much in the land of the living except give advice and guide our descendants."_

" _We have to interfere though. He won't reach her in time if we don't do something."_

" _The insecure beast has caused too much damage! He has committed a crime against our culture and against my granddaughter!"_

" _Alerting your wife to him was a nice advantage but I'm afraid that will not be enough."_

" _We have to aide the other one in order to help her."_

She could not see the phantom speakers but they sounded vaguely familiar to her in her cursed mind. They sounded so close and yet no one was near her enough to say such things. She must be dreaming the voices in her head and yet they sounded so real. Maybe the pain and the need to suppress her internal conflicts was starting to effect her.

" _You must keep dancing little Moana! Help will soon come!"_

" _Do not stop dancing or else the monster's plan will happen before help can be ready. Stay strong and whatever you do, don't stop dancing!"_

" _We are with you when you dance, and we are with you still, my dear child."_

" _Do not give in to the spell! We know who you really are!"_

" _Who you are, who you are."_ The voices sang together.

Despite the voices surrounding her, Moana continued to dance. What should have been minutes was feeling like an eternity but the dance would eventually end.

* * *

Maui furiously cut at the rope as much as he could. Just when it seemed it it was going to be a hopeless case, the rope finally snapped in half as did all the other parts around him.

Startled by this fast escape, Maui looked up in confusion to see three ethereal figures surrounded in blue light. Each of them held a knife and they all looked like from an era long gone, but Maui recognized the mightiest of them all.

Matai Vasa–Moana's ancestor–was standing before him and he looked just as strong and as young as he had been in the prime of his life.

" _Tamatoa is by the community fale near my descendants."_ Matai Vasa informed Maui with a grave look on his face. _"You will recognize him almost immediately."_

" _Go!"_ One of the men beside Matai Vasa urged Maui. The demi-god quickly threw his necklace back on and snatched up Heihei (who was still in the fale) and he shot out of the fale with Pua right beside him without saying thank you to the spirits, but there was no need and Moana's ancestors were aware that the situation was too urgent to call for appreciation.

Maui ran as fast as he could to the community fale, but he didn't bother to check on the position of the sun as it was getting closer and closer to the ocean. At this point the sky had taken on the colors that were ideal for a beautiful sunset and one would say that you could easily position another sun between the sun and the ocean to know how much time Maui had left before his time as a mortal was up. And unfortunately for Maui, that sun was very determined to aid Tamatoa and get its revenge upon the demi-god as it inched closer and closer to the ocean that had tried to help Maui.

Not realizing that her ancestors had come to her aid, Moana's dancing came to a slow point as she was nearing the end. Their pleas and encouragement did nothing but create more pain in her, but what little there was left of her real self was listening and refused to stop.

Maui finally got close enough to the area between the community fale and Moana's fale and he looked around until he finally saw who he was looking for. Even in human form, Tamatoa was too easily recognizable as he had been stupid enough to wear his some of his trinkets and he glamorized himself to the point that it could have been no other creature in disguise but him. He was even swinging the necklace in his hand for good measure, as if he was trying to give himself away–he was making Heihei look like a genius in comparison to himself. If Maui was in another mood, he would have cracked a joke about Tamatoa's human disguise, but he was trying to figure out how to get the necklace away from the crab without becoming a distraction.

He looked down at Heihei in his arm and realized he only had one chance to make this work. He quickly hurried to a specific spot, with Pua carefully following behind and trusting that Maui had some sort of plan.

Moments later, the music came to an end and Moana ceased her dancing with a final smile. The voices in her head vanished and all went silent around her.

The moment everyone stood up to clap and cheer for the girl was the moment Maui took his chance. As Tamatoa waited to see if Moana would go ahead and attack someone, he heard someone running towards him and he turned around in time to see Maui fling Heihei right into his face.

"What the–?!" Tamatoa only had enough time to yell out before Heihei let out a cry and scratched the face of the monster in disguise with his talons before completely crashing into his face. As the clueless bird feel to the ground and was blissfully unaware of his part in saving Moana, Pua ran ahead of Maui with an angry, yet determined squeal and bit the other man right in the ankle as deep as his teeth could do so.

This attack also took Tamatoa by surprise as he yet out a pained yell and shook his ankle to knock the pig free, but it was cut short when Maui used the side of his body to crash into Tamatoa with as much force as he could into the beam. Unable to properly support or stop himself in time, Tamatoa fell over and his head crashed into the post while the necklace went flying out of his hand. The crab had been knocked unconscious when his head hit the beam and he fell into an ungraceful heap at the base of the beam, while Maui gave him a hard kick in the ribs for good measure. _'You're lucky I'm not going to declare crab season early 'mon ami.''_ Maui scowled as he mouthed the words to Tamatoa.

Relieved to finally save Moana and let her know that her friend was the one who saved her all those years ago, Pua triumphantly grabbed the shell of the necklace in his mouth and hurried over to Maui, who gave the pig the happiest smile of relief imaginable as he held his hand out for it.

As Moana took in the applause, her eyes turned to her family–specifically her father.

 _This is what you wanted, right?_ Moana felt her hands tighten up as they went behind her back. _You wanted me to act happy and then expect me to go ahead and try to throw myself at someone so that I can have a future I didn't ask for?! Are you smiling while planning to ask them to punish someone else in my place?!_

Maui was getting excited as he took the necklace from Pua. Finally he was going to get his voice back and end this once and for all! He reached for the top part of the shell and made to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

In a panic, Maui tried prying it open with much force as he could. How could he come so close to getting his voice back, only for the stupid shell to not open up?! Maui then realized that the shell was glowing with a purple light–even without Tamatoa using it, Moana was still under his control.

Moana slowly began to approach her father as her hand reached for the dagger hidden in her top. The memories of all that her father had done yesterday and what he almost had done was building up and allowing the anger to grow to the point that she couldn't contain it anymore. _You are not taking away our heritage._ Moana pulled the dagger out.

" _Go ahead and kill your daddy, mon princesse."_ The voice of the stranger encouraged her.

 _AND YOU ARE NOT GOING TO CONTROL ME ANYMORE!_

The clapping ceased and all happiness and excitement turned to outright shock as the girl pulled a dagger out of its sheath and let out an inhuman yell as she charged at her father. No one expected the action and most were frozen at the spot while some parents tried to hide their children's eyes from the sight as they quickly realized what might happen, while a few others tried to stand in front of Tui or Hoani and his family to keep Moana out of the way.

The enraged girl didn't even stop. As if she had become a crazed warrior, she used the dagger to attack those who blocked her and the audience watched as one man grabbed his arm and yelled out as blood sprayed out from the deep cut Moana had created while she darted around him. The next person who tried to get in the way was forced to dodge before Moana could cut her in her rib cage and she made her way towards her father.

Maui could hear everything as he tried to break open the shell and slammed it against one of the beams of the fale for a good measure, but it wouldn't open no matter what he did. He realized that he would have to try to shatter the shell completely with his voice inside if he wanted to save Moana or her father.

But by then it was almost seconds too late as Moana finally approached her father after injuring one more soul who was willing to keep the girl away from Tui by ducking under her arms and cutting into one of her legs. Tui was both confused and horrified at what was happening to his daughter; he couldn't understand it at first and didn't try to budge from his spot. This violent creature before him and who was lashing out at her people was in no way the stubborn, yet compassionate daughter he loved so dearly.

It was only when Moana made to raise her dagger at him with an inhuman look of pure hatred in her eyes as her teeth were tightly clenched in determination that he realized what Moana's intentions were. By the time he realized why his daughter would even think of killing him, Moana finally made her move and the dagger began to descend upon her father as she let out an enraged scream.

* * *

 **You know you CAN use raw chicken as bait for crabs. XD**

 **Something I forgot to add: Matai Vasa is NOT an OC, but an actual character who is the Chief in the 'We know the way' song in the film. You have to do a bit of looking up to find his name.**

 **I meant to make this and the next chapter into one big chapter, but I decided against it (you will know why when it's done). Unfortunately that means I have to hold off from posting some drawings for a little longer (And I DID draw the waterfall scene... sorry for the wait).**

 **Welp, there was my take on the 'ambush the wedding' scene from the LM film for those who wanted to see Tamatoa get his punishment. It was a balance between what was believable and what could still be an homage. I debated on using Moana's ancestors or not and if their involvement would be respectful, but I went ahead when I realized that not only could they show up at any moment in the original film, but I felt like disrupting something important as the Taualuga would invoke some sort of divine punishment. I could be wrong, but I don't think you would want to ruin something as precious to a culture as their dance. In the meantime, I used the more humorous part with those who were living. I cannot tell you how much this chapter was revised in my head but things like Maui throwing Heihei at Tamatoa and Pua biting him ALWAYS stayed the same.**

 **The tooth that was used for the escape IS on Maui's necklace–I was unable to use the shark tooth when I saw how smooth it actually was, but there is a tooth that is missing a big piece of it, and I figured what was left could be used to cut away at a piece of rope. Look carefully at pictures of Maui and you might see it on the farthest left side.**

 **I'm personally annoyed and maybe a little disturbed at myself that I let Tamatoa get THIS evil when I originally just wanted him to be antagonistic. Thanks a lot me *sarcasm to myself* There was a lot I wanted to originally do with him in this chapter, but it didn't work out, including his original plan (I considered that in the beginning). I understand HIS point of view, and I don't know how far he would go to get back at Maui but he WAS willing to beat him up and eat him.**

 **Also, shout out to Subaku no Jess for giving me the idea for Tamatoa to use 'You're Welcome' against Maui, even if it wasn't a full on song. She also made a picture on her deviantart account of both her Tamatoa (in disguise) and my Tamatoa (it's titled 'OAV- human Tama') and you should go ahead and support her by checking it out.**

 **Well see you next time. I hope to post the next chapter before or around the time the blu-ray/dvd comes out over here because there is a moment or two that I really want to FINALLY write out in the next chapter.**

As the writer munched on the cookie she was given to earlier, A/N Moana stared at Story Moana and tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

"So are you supposed to be my evil edgy counterpart or something?" A/N Moana asked as Story Moana was wearing the dress Tamatoa gave her and was playing with the dagger in her hands. "Oh gods, I don't think I want to see an evil version of Maui." She cringed as she quietly muttered this to herself. "I can only imagine how large his ego would be."

"Hah!" Story Moana laughed as she tossed the dagger into the air and caught it. "At least one of us isn't trying to hold back from being selfish!"

A/N Moana shot Story Moana a dirty look before taking a card out. "Here's a gift card to Hot Topic, go nuts." She shoved it in the other girl's hand and quickly patted her on the shoulder before she waved and walked away.

"THEY SELL YOUR MERCH AT THAT STORE, YOU IDIOT!" Story Moana yelled back as she pointed the dagger at A/N Moana.

"I KNOW!" A/N Moana yelled back.


	11. Who you are

**Key:** Aw thanks and I will. :) What's the other one? I might want to give that a read.

 **jhalpernkitcat:** I looked it up and now I'm thinking of the play "Harvey" only it was a rabbit and not a dog. Arataki IS in a relationship with Awhina, but whether or not it is a public thing or not is up to interpretation. I loved making her and her brother because I wanted to have a good female OC for a Moana fan fic and to also put a spin on the 'Moana must get married' fan fic cliche by having him into someone else from the start.

I WANTED Tamatoa to pull Maui's hair and force his head back so that he could see him face to face for this symbolism/contrast between their human forms, but I opted not to in favor of Tamatoa acting realistic. Plus Subuku No Jess gave me the 'you're welcome' being thrown at Maui idea and deserves the credit.

I wanted Maui's voice to be used against him, plus the idea of it being heard out of its owner many miles away is pretty funny... and now I see the irony in what I just wrote. I knew I wanted to use the 'pain in feet' nod (hate the original ending too, I was depressed when I learned about it as a kid) with Moana as well as the Vanessa song because it fit TOO well after I gave it some thought. I didn't imagine that scene as a 'pep talk' but Tamatoa WOULD make an interesting coach, wouldn't he? ("Sparkle and strike a pose! No limp movements!")

The teeth on the necklace bit worked in my favor (I planned to use that for his escape since I first thought of it) and then I forgot that the shark tooth wasn't sharp, which was why I lucked out in finding the tooth that I needed instead. Tamatoa wouldn't have HAD to worry about being found out or questioned after we see what Moana is doing right now, but yeah his vanity bit him hard since he didn't expect Maui to get help. Gods was it satisfying to finally do that homage as I had imagined it! (Oh yeah, Looney Tunes and 'duck/rabbit' season LOL.)

 **Dreamer-Sara/DeterminedSoul:** Well he's where he needs to be but... ah, keep reading. But yeah, 'stay determined' is good and 'please Moana, don't go on a genocide route and stay pacifist' too. You don't want someone to 'give you a bad time' do ya? We ARE referencing 'Undertale' right? *looks to Tamatoa who just shrugs since he's never played it.*

 **LunaiWolfWings:** Ah *is embarrassed but happily accepts cupcake* Wait which two? Me and Tamatoa, or both Tamatoas?

 **Tamatoa's response to LunaiWolfWings: *laughs as he accepts cupcake* I've heard of those two and I admire their style and flair but I can't be their biological son for obvious reasons (and no, especially not from Ursula since we are different underwater creatures). Still I'm quite flattered when you all consider me to be at the same level as those guys.**

 **Tamatoa's response to Child of Dreams: You're we–*realizes what he's going to say and stops himself*...sssssuuuuure thing.**

 **Nausicaa of the Spirits:** I guess that's an animated movie I still need to see then. I've read that fanfic, its pretty good. Actually its really interesting when I see fan fics that feature Tamatoa as a human or acts nice/kind-of-but-still-vain-nice. There's a lot more on Archive of our Own like that but... yeah you need to carefully look at the tags since there's some I wouldn't easily recommend.

 **Tamatoa's response to Nausicaa of the Spirits: I respect your request *carefully takes your hand and kisses it gently as if you were royalty before getting you go***

 **OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon:** Or is it? :) *Makes to lift hands off your eyes* peek a boo!

 **Tamatoa's response to OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon: *laughs* Heh, except he's still me. I would totally win against myself but I don't know about eating him–think about it, how you you feel about eating a version of yourself?**

 **Tamatoa's response to the Guest who tapped the wall: You DO realize that the little human got in the middle of this the moment Maui decided to bond with her of all humans, right? Sure what happened to us happened LONG before she was born, but if she's the only one who stands in my way at this point, then I can't have her anywhere near him. Also the writer says that your review has been sent more than once for the past few days for some reason. You aren't sending it more than once... on purpose are you?**

 **Enigma:** Aw good, you gave him love. :) Hmm, we know little of the jerky movement technique but this carnival gig sounds like fun (except I HATE being jumpscared and *glares angrily at the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise* I hate it when its a gimmick in games.)

 **Subuku no Jess:** *sings loudly at the top of her lungs* _WHAT CAN I SAY EXCEPT YOU'RE WELCOME?!_ :D

I'm good, we are all good. She was a good cat. :) Anyway I HAD to make fun of the edgy Moana I somehow created and I couldn't resist making Arataki say that line. There's another place I could have written that reaction but it wouldn't have fit the situation. And I think you pretty much got Moana's issue with the spell down, but now its a matter of breaking it. Also *puts on sunglasses and drops the mic* BOOM! LIKE A BOSS!

 **Tamatoa's response to Subuku no Jess: *grabs a HUGE sparkling mic and then drops it, causing anyone around to almost fall over from the resulting mini earthquake, and grins* YOU GO THAT RIGHT, BABE!**

* * *

 **Ok, so I can't believe I'm doing this, but instead of a beginning A/N, I'm getting this off my chest before we start instead of saving it at the end for the sake of the story. What was that outtake I kept referring to? Well, let's see what happens when we go back a few chapters and Moana gets the help she needs *spins a hammer in her hands.***

 **-Some point during chapter 9-**

Moana struggled to breathe as the stranger grabbed her throat and she tried to pull out of his grasp. Just as he began to lift the necklace up to her face–

 _CRASH!_

Tamatoa stopped what he was doing, but still kept his hold on Moana as he turned his head to see a large hole in one of the rock walls and a person stepped out of it while tossing a hammer over their shoulder.

"What the–?! I thought that thing was unbreakable!" He yelled before he realized who was before him. "Wait... wait a minute _what_?! When did this become an 'insert the reader story?!'"

The person was none other... than you yourself?!

"HOW DID YOU GET PAST THE WRITER?!" He yelled at you. The answer was given as you heard a squeal of delight and you both turned to the hole to see an overexcited blonde haired, green eyed person look as if Christmas came early over a couple of objects in a bell jar on a table.

"Yes! Yes! YES!" The writer laughed with glee. "A Blu-ray of _Moana_! A ticket to a non-crowded theater for the live action _Beauty and the Beast_! _Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild_!" She made to grab at the jar. "I! Must! Have you! ALL!"

"Wow, I guess _this_ explains a lot." Another voice echoed from the hole in a deadpan voice.

"I HAVE MY MATERIALISTIC NEEDS LIKE YOU, SO DON'T JUDGE ME!" The writer scowled as she hugged the jar.

...Turning back from _that_ scene, you smirked as you got your weapon of choice out. Crab season was coming early for you and thank the stars he was not a fifty foot version of himself.

 **-A couple minutes and a decent fight later-**

You hummed to yourself as you rummaged through an unconscious Tamatoa's belongings before finding the necklace he was going to use on Moana and took it. He kind of deserved what he had coming to him, and you did take some satisfaction in that.

You pondered over what to do with the necklace–give what was inside back to its owner, keep a hold on it, don't give it back, or use the voice inside to your advantage? Heck you _knew_ the things you could do with that voice–think of the prank calls and wrestling fans you could play tricks on with it.

You then turned to Moana who was shaken, but ok and not a little ball of rage like Tamatoa had planned. With a smile, you say something kind and reassuring to Moana before heading towards her and helping her up. You knew that, despite whatever you intended to do with the voice in your possession, she needed to be somewhere safe so you both headed back to the village. You turned to see if the hole in the 4th wall was still there but it had been sealed up... for now.

All and all, this was a good AU of an AU.

* * *

 **Well it was that OR switch the necklace with Majora's Mask, which Tamatoa would have accidentally put on Moana, who would then summon the moon... but I doubt most of you guys would have gotten the reference.**

 **...Do you need a moment after that outtake? It's ok if you go, go ahead and give yourself a moment.**

 **Especially when you need to remember that the outtake isn't canon and we are about to see what will happen next.**

 **Hmmm...**

 **...You know I wish Moana won an Oscar for SOMETHING. Jerks.**

 **But I did love Auli'i Cravalho performing 'How far I'll go' as well as the set. (MOANA MUSICAL** _ **PLEASE?!**_ **)**

 **... I just realized that I corrupted a Disney princess in this fan fic. That is really weird to me.**

 **...Ok are you ready to begin?**

 **Ok, we are good.**

 **So... I guess Motonui is actually spelled 'Motunui'? I don't know if I want to go back and change it all... ugh, IDK. Anyway, look carefully and there is a nod to two (or more) Moana songs hidden in this chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Who you are**

Without any warning, the Chief's daughter had changed from a vision of beauty and promise of a great future for Motonui into a wild creature that harmed at least two people before reaching her father with an intent to kill him before the very eyes of all who were gathered together. Moana herself had paid no heed to the damage she had done and all she cared about was to free herself for good as the rage within was finally coming out and ready to be unleashed in a grand finale.

She let out the scream and brought the dagger down upon her father, whose eyes reflected horror for what his daughter had become rather than for his own life.

"STOP!" Sina yelled as she ran between her husband and her daughter.

In a split second, Moana acknowledged her mother appearing before her eyes and though she kept screaming, her hand twitched back long enough to give Sina a chance to grab Moana's arm. "STOP IT!" Sina yelled again as Moana tried to pull free and continued to scream out in rage, but her mother was able to grab the girl's arm with her other hand and braved the danger of the blade that was waving so wildly in the air that there was a good chance that she would get hurt. "MOANA, LOOK AT ME!"

Not a lot of people dared move an inch to help Sina as they waited to see what would happen and others didn't think that they could make it in time, though some cautiously stood up and were ready to jump to her aid if Moana got too out of hand. Even Maui had been caught by surprise at the woman's extreme bravery and stopped himself from smashing the shell between his hands as hard as he could.

As Moana began to pant through clenched teeth, she glared at her mother, who shot her a stern look. "This is _not_ who you are." Sina firmly told Moana.

Was it a trick of her imagination, or did Sina see that Moana's eyes took on a faint purple color? She stayed her ground and carefully watched Moana as she guided Moana's hand so that she could see the blood upon the dagger. "This is _not_ what you want to be." She told Moana. Deep down she regretted that she didn't see this coming and that she didn't try to talk to Moana about how she felt. "I know it."

Moana's eyes went from her mother to the dagger, whose blade was already coated in blood. This caused a small part of her to become aware of what she had done, even if it shot another bout of pain into her feet. But in the haze of her anger, a part of her remembered that she was almost going to kill off her own mother if Sina had not grabbed her arm in time.

This made the anger within vanish and, in a moment of clarity, Moana turned around to see that everyone was looking at her in both fear and concern as if she were a monster. Already there were parents hiding their children's eyes from her, while those she injured were cradling their wounds or applying pressure to stop the bleeding. The very people she had known since she was a child or had grown up alongside were now afraid of her and she had caused harm to them.

She was going to willingly kill her father in front of her people who believed in her and who she was supposed to help and support.

The pain was getting worse but Moana's horror towards her actions was making it impossible to allow herself to give in as she turned back to look at the dagger in her trembling hand. The blood upon it almost seemed to shine from what little sunlight there was left. _Its not too late._ A voice told her as the numbness was trying to force her thoughts back. _Go ahead while you still can._

"No..." Moana's voice shook as she tried to fight the other voice and the pain inside her, no matter how much it hurt. "I can't... I can't..."

 _DO IT!_

" _Remember who you truly are."_ The woman's voice from the dream called out to her and her fingers began to loosen their hold on the weapon. She could barely remember who she was and she struggled to think, but the pain was trying to block it out.

Moana let out a yell of protest as the dagger finally dropped out of her hand and she collapsed to her knees on the ground–forcing her mother to let go of her in the process– as she tried to fight the spell that was upon her.

 _DO IT!_ The voice in her head screamed, but Moana tried to fight it back as she slammed her hands into the sides of her head as hard as she could. Everyone was still watching in concern and those closest to her were torn between stepping in or letting her go. In her mind she was sailing within a raging storm and she was trying her hardest to sail out of it.

 _I'M NOT A MURDERER! I DON'T WANT TO KILL ANYONE!_

Moana held her head and yelled out in frustration as she rocked back and forth. It didn't take long for her headdress to completely slip off her head and collapse onto the ground in front of her, but she didn't care. The pain was growing and she was angry at herself for allowing this nightmare to happen. In her struggle to fight it off, she could see a flash of blue and recognized it as the necklace her grandmother gave her, which was hanging from her neck. _"So long as you wear this, may you remember who you descended from and remember that we will always love you."_ Her grandmother's loving words broke through the haze.

 _I'm a girl who loves my island._ She struggled to remind herself–she loved her people and she wanted to see them be happy, even if the task of leading them scared her. And there were people who cared about her, despite what she had believed.

" _Do not let anyone change who you are."_

 _And the girl who loves the sea._ She wanted adventure and she would never back down from a challenge or an obstacle, no matter how hard it was. And there were people who supported this dream, even if she forgot about this.

" _I hope you get to go back out on the ocean, kid. It likes people like you."_

She had a heritage that she was part of that she wanted to protect and see it thrive so that it would not be forgotten. She had to fight in what she believed in and she couldn't do it if she gave into the rage.

" _We know who we are, who we are."_

Things like being by the sea, singing, going on a boat–those gave her happiness, but if she lost someone by her own hand she could never forgive herself. In her stupidity, she allowed herself to be used and she was so tired of being angry that she just–

" _We know who you are, who you are."_

That bitter and terrible storm of rage she allowed herself to become–that was not her real self. This version of herself was not the reason she had come so far at this point in her life. She was Moana and _no one_ would take that away from her. "I'm–I'm–!"

" _Remember who you truly are."_

"I'M MOANA!" She yelled as loudly as she could as she ripped her hands away from her head and her hair came free from its binds and cascaded down her back.

At that exact moment, the shell on the necklace that had been used to control Moana cracked and the purple light died.

In a great big burst, the emotions that had been held back had completely returned to Moana and her eyes changed from milky purple and back to warm brown. The pain vanished and though it was replaced with something much worse inside her chest, it felt more real to her than any illusion. She almost felt as if she had been drained and the guilt over what she had done was almost too much to handle.

A great sob escaped Moana as she felt the tears escape her eyes. "I'm sorry!" Moana sobbed as she held her face in her hands. "I'm sorry!" She shuddered as she could barely face anyone after what she had done. How _could_ she? "I didn't mean to! I didn't–!"

Sina knelt beside Moana and carefully moved the headdress aside before reaching her arms around her daughter. Moana immediately embraced her mother as tightly as she could when she sensed her close by and Sina gently held her as she stroked Moana's head.

"I'm sorry." Moana sobbed into Sina's shoulder as she held onto her. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright." Sina smiled with regret as she felt herself about to cry as she tightened her hold on her daughter. "You were hurting and I didn't comfort you when you needed it. I should be the one apologizing." She apologized, even though she was still not fully aware of the true nature of Moana's previous behavior. She didn't care why Moana attacked, she just didn't want her daughter to be that miserable anymore.

Everyone just stared in silence at the scene between mother and daughter and some were still afraid while others felt a strange sorrow or even remembered a similar (though less extreme, given the circumstances) moment in their own life. Others were just happy to see that nothing worse could have happened and that Moana came to her senses in the nick of time while being sympathetic to her. Not all of them knew exactly what was going on, but they could see that something had happened to lead up to this.

Tala let out a deep sigh and finally moved her hand away from her chest as she stood by her son, who felt as guilty as his wife, if not worse. He caused Moana to be so broken and so miserable that she almost went as far as killing him, yet he knew that it was all his fault. He almost lost his daughter, but not in the way he had worried about and that terrified him more than anything.

Tala herself had remembered what Moana said, and though she herself had been taken by surprise at what had happened, there was obviously more to the story that Moana tried to hint at. There was just no way she could have gone to the extent of attempted murder as a way to lash out or fight back against her father–it just wasn't like her.

Having felt the spell over Moana literally brake in his own hand, Maui looked down and carefully tried one last time to open the shell. He was surprised when the top part easily flipped open to reveal a familiar green pearl like object that he hadn't seen for three weeks and then it struck him.

In the end, Moana didn't need his help. With a little love from her mother, she was able to break the spell on her own.

Maui let out a small, short laugh and this time he could actually _hear_ it echo back to him from within the green pearl. It never ceased to amaze him at how much the kid surprised him and maybe she didn't need to be someone who had to be saved all the time. She had been able to save herself when others would have given in and that made him admire her even more.

"What is the meaning of this, Tui?!"

Moana and Sina looked up to see Hoani stand up and glance at Moana before looking at Tui in anger. "Why did your daughter just try to kill you?! Why aren't you taking her away?!"

Moana felt a fear strike her in the heart, while Sina's hold tightened and she glared at Hoani. "It wasn't my fault!" Moana found herself yelling out as her tears quickly ceased. "Someone came to this island and put a spell upon me with a necklace!" But even as she said those words, she realized that no one would believe her. She could barely believe what she herself had just said.

There was a murmur of confusion at Moana's claim. "Oh a spell was put on her, she says!" Hoani rolled his eyes before gesturing to the girl. "See?! She's trying to deny it! That's your reason to lock her up and prepare her sentence!"

Maui's relief turned to panic. For one split second he had no idea what to do until he remembered he had more than enough evidence to prove Moana's innocence as well as the choice to finally speak again. He quickly took the pearl out of the necklace and shoved it into his mouth, where almost immediately he could feel it dissolve and become a part of him once more. Unlike the burning sensation that happened when his voice had been taken away, it felt comforting like taking a breath of air after being underwater for too long.

"I will not punish my daughter!" Tui yelled at Hoani and even Hoani's own siblings were growing annoyed at him as well as concerned that he would try to take action. "Our matters do not concern you!"

"They do if she chose the day we arrived to attack!" Hoani yelled as he looked down at mother and daughter. "Maybe she was going to kill my people too, so maybe we should have a say as well!" Moana's hold on her mother tightened up (why wasn't this nightmare ending?!) while Sina grabbed the dagger her daughter was using and was ready to use it herself. Sina scowled in determination as Hoani grabbed a spear from one of his men and even most of the islanders were ready to jump to Moana's aid if a war was to start. "Gods Hoani, just leave her alone!" Arataki yelled at her brother, but he paid no heed to her.

There was no way she could prove her innocence, Moana realized as her eyes widened in fear for her fate–she had no actual proof to confirm it. Sina herself was ready to lash out and tell her daughter to get off the island while Hoani began heading towards them. Sina's grip on the dagger tightened, though neither she nor her daughter was aware of the person who was about to come to their aid as he forced himself through the crowds and ran towards them as fast as he could. "So if you don't want a word about this to get out," Hoani began as he reached the two "Then you'll do your job or else I'll–"

"Lay a hand on her and I _swear_ I'll make you regret it!"

There was a shocked silence amongst nearly everyone, but for multiple reasons. No one expected that the man without a voice had escaped and would come to stand right behind both Sina and Moana in a protective manner and they definitely did not expect him to actually speak. Some of the visitors thought they recognized the voice as well as the man, but his appearance was a lot different than what they had seen of him last time. In fact they almost were convinced that it couldn't possibly be the same person.

But the person who was most surprised was Moana because she _knew_ that voice. She hadn't heard that voice since she was a child but it was still exactly as she had remembered it. The depth, the warmth, and images of the sun it invoked were still there, even if the voice was incredibly angry when it let out that warning. She did not expect that voice to come to her aid and when she realized the owner was right behind her, she turned around to finally see the man who saved her all those years ago.

Moana let out a gasp and placed a hand over her mouth as her mother also turned to see who it was that came to their aid. The identity of the voice of the owner almost shocked her and yet not quite as a part of her _knew_ it had to be _him_ of all people.

Maui would have been overjoyed to hear his voice again, but he was too focused on the matter at hand to care as he stayed right behind Moana and Sina. Seeing the other man go after Moana was one thing, but when it looked like he was about to separate her from her mother, it just made him even more mad then he already was. He glared at Hoani, who seemed incredibly confused at who was before him, but the moment the horrified recognition in his eyes kicked in and his mouth opened, Maui was quick to respond.

"You don't get to say anything, so shut it!" Maui pointed a finger at the Chief. "In fact, anyone who isn't from Motonui doesn't get to speak!" He glared at the other visitors. "I haven't been able to speak for the past three weeks so its my turn, not yours! My turn!" He pointed to himself before pointing to them. "Not yours! So _shut_ _it_!" He made a gesture as if chopping the air in half for extra emphasis.

Hoani stared in shock before he scowled "You can't–!"

"SHUT UP!" Kahurangi angrily yelled at his brother who turned around in surprise. The young man shot an apologetic smile at Maui before waving at him to go on. Maui smiled in appreciation at the young man before turning to Tui and held out the broken necklace as he came towards him.

"This was being used to control your daughter." He explained as he came close enough for Tui to take a careful look. "The guy who used it on her is knocked out by this fale–he's wearing similar trinkets and has one leg. He's too shiny looking to miss."

As Tala's eyes widened as she stood beside Tui, Maui continued. "I tried to stop the spell, but your daughter was able to brake it herself." He gave it to Tui whose eyes widened in recognition, which Maui did not like. Gods, how much could have been avoided if Tui gave him or Moana a hint of the fact that Tamatoa got onto Motonui?

 _This is like the object_. Tui realized as he saw the flecks on the shell that looked similar to the mysterious object. He was horrified at the implications, but he still couldn't help but feel suspicious towards this man who not only knew so much, but was suddenly able to speak as if he hadn't been a mute to begin with. "Give me one good reason why I should believe you after all that's happened." Tui demanded and the man before him was incredibly annoyed that he still had to be drilled about the lack of trust issue. In fact, Maui was about ready to yell a few choice words at Tui now that he had his voice back.

"Because that's the man who saved me all those years ago!" Both men turned their heads to see Moana stand up from her spot and her mother joined her as she gave her father a determined look. "I know that voice! I _never_ forgot it!"

Maui couldn't help but smile but then let out an annoyed sigh as Tui addressed his daughter. "Even if that all had been true, how else could you prove it?" He demanded as Maui turned around to face him. "That was–"

"Did it look like she had some purplish black colored stuff on her eyelids?" Maui asked as he pointed to his eyes for emphasis.

This made Tui stop as he remembered the night Moana came back. He remembered it all too well and he remembered that Moana did have something like what the man mentioned on her eyes that kept her from seeing for a short time. He never believed her stories, but if this non-native of Motonui knew about it, then apparently they had to be true after all.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Maui smugly noted as he saw that Tui knew what he was talking about. On the other hand he was just glad that the whole matter was finally sorted out and that Moana was finally proven innocent. He wanted to say a lot more to Tui in regards to his parenting abilities, but that wasn't as important as the one person he needed to properly reunite with.

Moana had no idea if this whole day was a dream or not, and she didn't know how the man before her had escaped, but somehow he came to her aid right when she needed it the most. A part of her tried to remember back to what little she had been able to see or feel of her savior; she could almost close her eyes and when she went back to the memory, she could actually see the man standing before her on that fateful night. The owner of the voice looked almost exactly as she had imagined him to be for quite some time and when he turned around to smile at her with a welcoming familiarity, she could not imagine anyone else.

"I guess the ocean likes you after all, huh kid?" He asked her with a knowing and mischievous smirk at the little in-joke while raising an eyebrow at her.

Not even caring about anything else, Moana ran towards him as fast as she could–without any pain in her feet–until she collided right against his body and almost knocked him over but he was able to grab her upper arms and shoulders before _she_ could fall over.

"I _knew_ it had to be you!" Moana exclaimed with joy. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry but she was too happy and too relieved to care. She wanted to help this man get his voice back if it were possible and when he finally spoke he turned out to be the same man who saved her all those years ago. Finally she was reunited with him at last!

"I had this feeling and I–!" She bumped her head against his body as her hand went to her mouth as she felt the tears coming. There was so much to take in; she had to deal with being under a spell and then, right before she was about to be taken away to face her doom, this man came to help her when she needed it the most.

"I wanted to meet you again for _so_ long." Moana confessed. "If I knew earlier, I wouldn't have acted like such a brat. I'm–" She took a breath. "I'm sorry for all I've put you through." Gods, that and what happened yesterday seemed like such a lifetime ago. She shook her head and was able to use the back of her fingers to wipe away whatever tears that managed to escape. Then her hands reach up to him until they were touching both his chest and his necklace as she moved to look up at him. She could see that he had already forgiven her for that time period in his eyes and in his warm smile. "But I guess its almost pretty ironic now!" She couldn't help but laugh. The irony was not lost on her and though a part of her regretted her childish behavior, most of it was genuinely amusing now, if not bittersweet.

Unknown to her, Pua smiled as he finally got to see that Moana had properly reunited with her savior like she wanted, even if she still didn't know the whole truth just yet. This was good enough in his opinion. Meanwhile Heihei was back to pecking the ground and could care less about what was going on.

Maui himself was more than happy to finally get this one moment when Moana learned who he was and especially because she recognized him after all this time. The fact that he had been able to help her on time and that she was safe was also comforting to him and it was all to the point that he almost felt about ready to get misty eyed as he let out a sigh of relief.

"My voice was stuck in that thing, so I owe you big time." Maui told Moana. "Trust me, I really wanted to tell you when I realized who you were, but–" He froze as he remembered that it was his fault she had ended up in this situation. He also didn't have much time left as he became aware of just how little sunlight there was left around him. Why couldn't there be a way to stop that accursed sun and make this one moment last longer?

He didn't want to just abandon her like this; in fact he knew he would miss his time here and he would miss her, but he would rather not let her feel like she was being used ever again.

"Listen Moana– _I'm_ the reason that crab went after you." He told Moana with slight regret as his hold on her loosened up and he frowned. "I admit that I did some pretty selfish things and the last thing I want is for you to feel used again. I promise I'll explain and make it up to you when I'm done with him and then I'll leave."

Moana was confused by what he said, but her attention was drawn to the last part. "What–?! No!" Moana protested as she tightened her hold on his necklace. "I _just_ found you again! You don't have to go, I–!" She paused. How did it get to this point? For half the time she knew this man, she couldn't stand him and then for the other half he became her friend who was able to help grant her deepest wish, who then also turned out to be someone she wanted to meet for a really long time. And now he was saying he was going to leave not long after she just put the two identities together into the same person. "I don't want–" she tried to say but had a hard time saying it.

Maui could sense what was going through her mind. He knew that for the longest time he had wanted to feel genuinely wanted and appreciated; he wanted the need to please someone to stop becoming a never ending cycle with each new generation. He wanted to feel like he belonged and he could almost feel it with this girl and her island and it made him more than happy.

But he also knew that he'd give away his one chance to stay the way he currently was for Moana if given the choice. He valued this one friendship too much to risk losing it forever, yet there was only one way for Moana to stay in his life–and for him to stay in hers–and he had to completely give that power to her.

"Would you really want me to stay, kid?" He asked her with a small, yet slightly hopeful smile.

Moana stared at him as she heard those words. He had no reason to stay after what her father had done, how much trouble she got him in, and life here was otherwise not that exciting–she wouldn't have been surprised if there was more to him than what she knew, but she knew the answer to his question.

Moana gave him a huge smile and opened her mouth as she was ready to jump up, hug him, and let him know just how much she would have liked that if such a thing were possible for him when all of a sudden–

"I wouldn't answer that question, mon princesse."

Moana flinched in horror when she heard that other familiar voice while Maui cringed and internally cursed as he realized he almost completely forgot about a certain someone. He drew Moana close to him in a protective manner as they–along with everyone else–turned to see the one who had hypnotized the teenaged girl. The person in question looked a little roughed up, but Maui could see that he was easily enjoying (no, more like _basking_ in) the attention that now shifted to him.

"Especially now that I know how you'll react to the truth." Tamatoa smugly told the girl. He took awhile to wake up, but he had seen enough to know that (as he had suspected) there was still one more way to completely ruin Maui and it was all going to be thanks to the little human.

For one split second, Moana remembered what the man did to her–she remembered that despite appearances he was definitely not human–and though she was a little afraid and wanted to stay by someone she knew would protect her, she was also angry at the stranger for what he had done. "Moana, wait!" Maui protested as Moana forced herself out of Maui's grasp and stormed up to the stranger, but not before snatching a spear from one of the villagers and pointed the head at him.

"Oh what, are you going to try to kill me instead of your daddy?" Tamatoa asked in a deadpan manner while Maui almost nervously watched on, though he admired that Moana was gutsy enough to try to threaten Tamatoa. Did she even have an idea as to who she was facing?

"And do the thing you wanted me to?!" Moana demanded. "No! You had a reason to be here and I wont let you have it! And I know you aren't human, so you can't fool me anymore!"

"You really think you can threaten me like that?" Tamatoa snorted, unaware that both Arataki and Awhina sneaked around him with their own weapons.

"You think you can say that with all of us around, sparkles?" Arataki growled as she and Awhina pointed their own weapons behind the stranger. This made Tamatoa look back and he flinched when he saw that he was nearly ambushed by the two women. When he looked back, he could see that a huge majority of the villagers and the visitors were equally more than mad at him–especially all three members of the girl's family, who looked about ready to tear him apart–and some were just on edge after what happened earlier and were a little terrified. The only person who knew any better was Maui and his concern for his human friend was all too clear on his face.

"Get off Motonui and leave us all alone for as long as you live." Moana calmly demanded in a steady voice. For one moment she was as if she already were the Chief of Motonui and it was a glorious sight to see.

Despite her command, Tamatoa merely took one look at the sky before letting out a chuckle. "Oh that's cute." He began as he casually moved Moana's spear from his face with the back of his hand. "You're brave, you have a lot of people who want to help you, and even the ocean itself is on your side, but you still don't know what you got yourself caught up in." He then gave Moana a dark and very eager grin that almost shook her to the core. "Remember that personality question I asked you earlier? What would you say if Maui turned his back on the human race and left them because they all took him for granted?"

"I don't care." Moana growled as Maui immediately knew what Tamatoa was going to do and he was torn between telling Moana to not listen to him or to tell Tamatoa to shut up.

" _Why don't you go ahead and ask him about that yourself_." Tamatoa's voice deepened in a sinister tone and he grinned as he looked to Maui. _"Especially since he was on this island the whole time."_ These words confused Moana, who lowered the spear. "What are you talking about?" She asked.

At that moment the sun gave off one flash of light as if to deliver its own moment of triumph over Maui before vanishing into the depths of the sea to signal that Maui's time as a human was up.

When Maui felt a familiar burning sensation inside him, it came so fast that he took in a sharp breath of air and collapsed to his knees as he clutched his body. This alerted Moana to her friend and she dropped the spear and abandoned an incredibly delighted Tamatoa as she hurried to Maui.

"What's wrong?!" Moana demanded in concern as Maui clutched his chest and was panting heavily. Gods, this was not going to be pleasant and already the burning inside him was about ready to make him scream out. It was taking all his will power to not let it happen, but he couldn't hold it back. The burning was coursing through his body, from his head to his toes and it was going to get much worse.

"Don't watch this." He panted the warning to Moana and winced as he managed to look up at her as she tried to reach a hand towards his shoulder. The poor girl was alarmed and had no idea what she was about to be in for, yet she still tried to reach out to him.

He didn't want her to find out the truth like this.

"Trust me Moana, its not going to be pleasant!" He tried to hiss out before gritting his teeth. Now he was starting to feel it on the outside of his body and he was _not_ looking forward to what would happen next.

"What isn't?!" Moana demanded but then her eyes widened as she saw a faint blue light begin to surround her friend as well as form strange markings upon his body from the neck down.

"I SAID DON'T–!" Maui yelled but it was too late as the light engulfed him completely and Moana–as well as almost everyone else–was forced to close her eyes and shield them with the back of the arm before she would become blinded by it.

As Moana kept her eyes shut, she could hear her friend screaming in agony. It was much worse than when she tried to fight off the spell and she could hear that he was in a lot of pain from whatever was happening to him. In fact it was so awful that she could also empathize with him after having to go through her own ordeal–it was like she could _feel_ his pain within her body. But what exactly _was_ happening to him?

For Maui it was much more horrible because it was all that he had suspected and worse. Feeling his mana–his power and his immortality–return back to him felt as if he were thrown into the fire again and it felt like he was being repeatedly stabbed to death in almost every inch of his body. He could barely hear himself screaming, but he could almost feel that he would lose his voice again just from doing the action so much. It felt like it would never end no matter how much he wanted it to stop. It was enough to once again make dying seem like a better option but this time he couldn't pass out from the pain as it kept him awake.

Moana continued to hear the screams and just when she couldn't take it anymore and wanted it to stop before she would go insane, she heard the light die away and her friend finally ceased screaming before she heard him collapse to the ground with a thud.

Slowly Moana opened her eyes to see that the light was gone and that the man before her was laying against the ground and was heavily breathing. She immediately knelt in front of him and made to reach out and help him back up, but she noticed something about his appearance had completely changed and it made her stop. She could hear others around her murmur or whisper in confusion, but her attention was only on her companion as he grunted and slowly tried to get back up, though the way he gingerly moved said that he was still dealing with some of the discomfort from whatever happened to him.

The many scars that once covered most of his body had vanished, but in their place was an incredible tapestry of many different and detailed tattoos upon skin that looked as if it had never been damaged to begin with. Even the tattoos he previously owned had changed. His hands had been spared from the artwork but Moana quickly saw that he had far more tattoos than she could see, to the point it was like he was a living tapestry. She didn't know how, but when her eyes drifted to look at the tattoos, she saw that his lavalava had become a skirt of many different leaves that looked like something her ancestors would have worn.

She watched as he got himself in a kneeling position and was looking down at the tattoos on one arm, which he rotated so that he could see them in their entirety. His hair was blocking his face and he had his head bent down low enough that she couldn't see his face or his reaction to the change. For one moment she was afraid that she would see something terrifying when he would look up, like the night before, before a part of her forced it down and reminded her that he was still her friend no matter how much he changed before her eyes.

And then just when she thought she couldn't be surprised anymore, she looked at the tattoos again– all the stories on his body and all the creatures were centered around a certain figure that she easily recognized. Adding up all the facts, such as his personality, his build and the fact that she thought he was a warrior, the fact that he had been so calm about the ocean being alive and how he could have saved her when she was a child from the kakamora in the first place–

No...

No it _couldn't_ be.

"M–" She was almost too nervous to say it and she almost couldn't believe she was going to say it, but for the first time she attempted to guess his name and also confirm the third and final identity of the being before her. She took a deep breath and then, in an uncertain tone, asked "Maui?"

He finally looked up at her and she was almost surprised to see that his face remained completely unchanged–there was no tattoos upon it, no supernatural characteristics, but it was still the same face she knew. There was a look in his dark brown eyes that spoke of someone who had been caught in a horrible act and had a lot to regret, but there was much more that she never saw before. For the first time she could see that there was an agelessness in those eyes that extended well beyond the seemingly physical age of his body.

He closed his eyes and ran his hand over his face as he let out a deep sigh. He then moved his hand away from his face and opened his eyes before he answered her in a slightly weary and almost broken voice with little to no attempt at being dramatic. It was like he didn't want to admit it and yet he had to force himself to say it.

"Yes it's really me, its Maui... breathe it in."

If Moana could collapse she could, but instead she just stared at Maui in wide eyed shock. She heard the tales about Maui so often and she herself once said that one would be lucky if you so much as ever saw him. And now it turned out that the man who had saved her as a child, who had been with her for three weeks on her island, and who helped her fulfill her dream, was none other than the legendary hero of all himself. This was who he really was and this was his true form, which seemed to suit the identity of a great demi-god, but why had he taken on a slightly different form to begin with? Why didn't he tell her when he could?

As for Maui, he could feel his full power (despite how much his body ached) and he should have been glad to see his tattoos again, but he didn't. His worst fear was coming true before his eyes and he didn't want Moana to hate him, even though he knew she was going to in mere moments.

Moana heard a triumphant laugh from behind her that made her turn around to see that the stranger was more than happy to see that Maui had returned back to normal. But it wasn't in a good way–that mean spiritedness from before once again appeared in his laughter.

"Oh you foolish girl, if you actually made him feel wanted and gave him more love then you would have made him a human forever like he desired!" He told her before he calmed down and began to explain. "You see, because you and the others were taking advantage of him and because the burdens of immortality were finally getting to him, he wanted to stop helping you and end his days as a human. But that only would have been permanent if you had accepted him for who he was before this day ended–without him being able to speak." He added with slight annoyance. "So I hate to break it to you, but you were just a means to an end for your beloved 'hero', mon princesse." Tamatoa looked at Maui and watched as the demi-god cringed and made no attempt to deny his words while trying to avoid looking Moana in the eye as well as everyone else who was shocked to find this out.

Moana's family was especially surprised to discover the true identity of the man who was tasked with watching over Moana, though Tala was calm about it as she knew that something about the voiceless man seemed rather unique from the start (but in a good way). It was Pua who was by Tala's feet who was crushed for both Moana and Maui as he hadn't wanted Moana to find out in such a terrible manner.

Moana herself could not believe what she was hearing. That was why the constellation had been missing this whole time? And this was why he had grown close to her? _But that's not true._ She tried to tell herself. _If he had recognized me–if he hadn't–_ She didn't _want_ to believe what the stranger was telling her–that the friendship she gained was false.

Tamatoa then added to Moana in a slightly mock cheerful tone "But hey, he was just a means to an end too, right? You couldn't have gotten out onto the ocean without his help, so that doesn't exactly make you better than the others, does it? I mean he did get in a lot of trouble thanks to you and you just denied him his only chance at being happy as a mortal."

Moana almost felt sick to her stomach as she took those words in. To hear those accusations was unbearable because she could see the bit of truth in them and to be accused of using another person in anyway made her feel horrible. She could not have fulfilled her wish if she hadn't–

But how the heck could she have seen this all coming? She didn't even know how to react or if she should be angry at someone. Who was she supposed to blame for this?

As for Maui, he quickly felt himself get angry at Tamatoa because this was all his own fault, not Moana's. And now Tamatoa was going to pin the blame on her anyway?! Maui then yelled at Tamatoa as he felt the last of the pain within him die off. "Hey lay your overgrown claws off her!"

Moana then remembered something when she heard the odd choice of words used in her defense. She saw this creature's real reflection last night in the waterfall... and then she realized that Maui knew this man and that he called him a crab... and this man was covered in unusual adornments and was missing a leg.

"Oh you _got_ to me kidding me." Moana whispered in dread as she realized who the stranger was and why he had hypnotized her to begin with. Who else would want to go this far and try to ruin Maui?

"By the way, he was also dumb enough to turn this into a bet with me, but since he failed I get something out of this like he agreed to." Tamatoa added with a knowing smile.

"You already damaged my reputation like you wanted, what more could you possibly want?!" Maui yelled at Tamatoa. Seriously, Tamatoa pretty much destroyed him in front of all these humans with the reveal of his identity and why he had done what he did and if he wanted to ruin his friendship with Moana then Tamatoa did his job a little _too_ well.

"Oh _mon ami_." Tamatoa chuckled as he shook his head. "Remember that I said I would take something you hold most dear and that I would be thinking about it the whole time you were a human? Well at first I thought I knew what it was, but then I started thinking about things a bit more and... Well, sadly for you, I know for sure what it is you value over even your one chance of becoming a human again, and guess what?"

And then Maui could only watch in mute horror and regretted ever even thinking of taking up Tamatoa's offer in the first place–heck, everything that lead to making that choice, and for being stupid and not fast enough to have not seen this coming–as Tamatoa gestured a hand out to Moana.

"She's going on a one way trip back to Lalotai with me!"

Moana felt her heart stop when she heard those words and she made to get up and take a few steps back away from Tamatoa as everyone around her took action.

"You're not taking my daughter away, you monster!" Tui yelled in anger as almost all the villagers all made to get ready to attack and took up anything they could use as a weapon. He already put Moana in a lot of danger because of his stubborn and over protective nature and he was not going to do it again. Even most of the visitors were ready to join in to help save Moana from the stranger.

"Said the loving father who practically handed her over to me." Tamatoa merely replied back, though he was not aware that Moana's grandmother had quickly picked up on who he really was and when she looked him over, she saw something hidden among his adornments that looked extremely familiar. It was _a lot_ smaller than it should have been and was carefully hidden away, but there was no denying what it was.

"Was Maui's hook part of the deal, Tamatoa?!" Tala challenged the crab with a grin as she saw that maybe there was a chance to stop the creature while giving away his identity to everyone at the same time. "I see you wearing it like a trophy!"

Tamatoa shot Tala a very enraged look as Maui realized what the woman was trying to imply, while others like Arataki quickly figured out that this would not end well if the stranger was indeed Tamatoa. He would _kill_ the old hag if he wanted to... except...

Unfortunately for Maui, Tamatoa sensed that his own time was up. Good, he was starting to get uncomfortable in this form (like he could burst out of it at any minute) and was hating the restrictions and feeling of being contained that came with it.

He calmly turned to the demi-god, who slowly made to get up and back away to reach his precious little human friend. "Hey Maui," Tamatoa began. "You're dramatic reveal was good... but I bet mine'll top yours." He held his hand up to reveal that it was starting to glow with a faint sickly purple as he shot Maui a dangerous and knowing grin.

Maui knew just what was going to happen and he was not going to take any chances.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" He yelled at everyone as he grabbed Moana by the wrist and almost made her fly as he pulled her alongside him and ran as fast as he could away from the area and towards one of the many forested areas on the island.

"MOANA!" Sina yelled for her daughter as someone grabbed her and pulled her away from the stranger, while Tui made to grab a weapon. Already some were following Maui's advice and ran for it (and parents quickly picked up their children and hurried as fast as they could to safety) while others stayed and were ready to fight.

"Oh what, you aren't going to stick around for it like I did?" Tamatoa demanded to Maui in an offended tone. "Some friend _you_ are." He added before the light engulfed him.

Meanwhile, Moana found herself struggling to run alongside Maui as he pulled her away from her people. She could feel how strong he actually was when he almost yanked her arm off and crushed the flowers and leaves around her wrist as he held onto her lower arm. Now he had already gone past several fales in half the time it would have taken a normal human and she could barely keep up with him. As if he sensed that Moana wouldn't keep up, Maui quickly and easily grabbed and lifted her up before he slung her over his shoulder for the second time in her life and this time she made no attempt to get out of his grasp. In fact, due to the circumstances it was now quite the opposite.

"What are you doing?!" Moana yelled at Maui as she struggled to hold on to him as he ran away from her village.

"Getting us a head start!" Maui yelled back at her. "Trust me, he'll catch up to us in no time! And don't even think of slapping me again!" He yelled out a warning at Moana as he felt her digging her hands into his back as she tried to hold on. In the process, Moana accidentally moved his hair away from his upper back and saw the tattoo that took place of the worst of the scars that he previously had.

"What the–?!" Moana gapped at the image of a long haired woman tossing an infant into the ocean. Why did Maui own this tattoo and why did it get the worst of the scarring in his human form? Maui himself realized seconds too late that Moana saw the one tattoo he always tried to hide, but he had no time to think on it or tell her to quit looking at it.

There was an explosion in the distance, followed by screaming of many people, and Moana looked up in alarm to see a huge light erupt from where the community fale had been, followed by a scream that grew in size that almost reminded her of Maui's screams of pain. Then she felt her stomach drop as she heard the scream turn into a familiar laugh of triumph and she watched as a large creature escaped from the light and damaged a lot of fales as it charged towards them.

Right before Maui carried her into the forest that could hide them under the trees, Moana could properly see the real form of the stranger who sang to her, who tried to charm her, and who almost made her kill her father in his desire for revenge. It was a gigantic crab of many vibrant colors and the mountain of golden or pearl hued adornments and treasures that covered his shell and his legs made them pop out. He was also large enough that he could easily cover up a good portion of the village under his body and she could clearly see the familiar crooked teeth as his eyes focused on her and Maui. It felt like a lifetime since she pretended to act like that monster for the children and now he was right behind them and ready to take her away into the realm of monsters with him as another addition to his treasures.

" _I'M COMING FOR YOU!"_ Tamatoa's voice boomed out in an almost sing song tone as he chased after the both of them at an alarming speed, despite that he was not used to the bumpy terrain of Motonui.

Moana tightened her hold on Maui as she realized that she was now going to have to fight for her life as well as demand a _heck_ of an explanation from Maui. Meanwhile, Maui kept his hold on the girl as he ran as fast as he could into the forest and knew that he would have to figure out a way to get his hook back if he wanted to save Moana.

And that meant that he needed to get ready to improvise the heck out of this situation, take advantage of Motonui's landscape and the surrounding waters, get Tamatoa off this island, and fight to the death if he had to because he was ready to get himself killed for this girl if that was what it would take to keep her safe.

* * *

 **Where do I begin? So much pain but so much love! (That and that this chapter's alternate title is 'Lots of screaming in pain.')**

 **First I wanted Moana to be able to save herself from the curse on her because I didn't want her to get rescued all the time. Plus I wanted the power of familial love be just as important as the love that comes through friendship. It felt important to her character and the theme of identity that is presented in her film.**

 **Secondly...**

 **Oh boy, when I first did this fan fic, I didn't expect people would be into it enough for it to go beyond a one-shot. Several views, over 80 followers (the most I've gotten for ANY fan fic), 100 reviews, and ten chapters later, I finally got to the part where Moana would learn who saved her that night. It felt good to allow Maui to talk again and even better for them two finally have that proper reunion... just... argh! And at this point I wanted Maui to be more excited, but then I realized he had a lot of growing up and thinking to do and I realized he would try to come clean with her, but for him to try to give her the power to make him human was super important for me. God, I wanted these two to hug, but if they did then... well, you saw why Tamatoa stopped Moana.**

 **In my mind I almost compare Maui turning back into a demi-god as something similar to 'Thor' but maybe not through the same circumstances.**

 **Also, some of you guessed almost from the start it was going to be Moana that Tamatoa would want to take from Maui. I debated about this choice, but I knew that no matter what, it had to be Moana because of what she meant and represented to Maui. His reputation as a hero COULD have been a better choice, but how better to ruin Maui then take away the thing/person he cared a lot about?**

 **Actually since I know some of you wanted Maui to fail and stay as a demi-god, I wonder how many of you were rooting for Tamatoa. I kind of enjoyed writing him out as a huge jerk to both Moana and Maui in this chapter. Though Sina would have totally gone after him if given the chance and we all know that you do NOT want to make a parent from a Disney film angry.**

 **Ok... if writing Zelda fan fics taught me anything, its that ANYTHING involving lots of fighting can take a month to write out as well as careful planning. As well as knowing the area in question and how your characters fight, which means I probably NEED to see the movie again. But hey, when you got a shapeshifter, a determined girl, a giant crab, a few promising areas to fight in, that equals a lot of fun potential for me to not waste. I don't know how long it will take or if I'll need to cut the chapter in half, but I promise an epic and suspenseful showdown because honestly there is a lot you can do with a giant crab and a guy who can shape shift (and maybe make him shape shift into a few large creatures too).**

 **In the meantime, I've been working on some more drawings for this fic for fun and I will post them on deviantart/tumblr, but I am aiming to post them either tomorrow or the day after that, so keep your eyes peeled (and again, it will be under the name tornrose24).**

 **Until then, our duo has reunited and is being chased by a giant crab who should be sued for property damage and more. See you next time and enjoy yourselves until we come back.**


	12. The perfect guardian

"So I am breaking down the climax into two chapters instead of putting it all in one." The writer said to the readers as she looked at some papers. "Now lets see... property damage charges from this fan fic... Not surprised Maui has some." The writer hummed before raising an eyebrow at one paper. "Heihei has some too. I did not think that could be possible. And of course..." She looked at the next paper and almost had a heart attack before letting out a whistle. "Well I can't imagine Tamatoa would be willing to pay those off. Thankfully these are all hypothetical!" She laughed.

Behind her, the fourth wall shattered and she looked in time to see Story Maui run through while still holding onto Story Moana. "Sorry about the tattoos!" She yelled at him before he crashed through the other fourth wall on the other side.

"And I sure as heck am not paying for that." The writer sighed as she turned back and ignored Story Tamatoa crashing through the first fourth wall to chase the demi-god through the other fourth wall. "Well, onto the reviews."

 **Shiori Kudo:** Oh, oh! Crab enchiladas are yummy! I would try those, but don't use too much cream! Also is your name a reference to Inuyasha by any chance?

 **Tamatoa's response to Shiori Kudo: And how exactly are you going to butcher me to make whatever recipe you are planning? My shell's too tough and if you try to get at my underside, you can forget it. I'd squash you before that would happen.**

 **To the guest who looks through the forth wall:** I saw that this website was having issues during that time so all is forgiven :)

 **Tamatoa's response to the guest who looks through the forth wall: *sighs* Remember that I said I would take the thing he valued the most? The girl's only crime was to be the human that Maui treasures above all else. Keep reading and maybe I'll elaborate within the chapter.**

 **Tamatoa's response to Child of Dreams: you DO understand that this fan fic is getting closer to the end, right? You better make sure your reviews are meaningful from this point on. Also I am aware of what happened the last time that heart was taken/when I was tricked with it, so I won't bother this time. Actually I'm wondering HOW you got it in the first place.**

 **Subuku no Jess:** thanks :) Ah yes, FINALLY the action... after a couple of things. And yeah, Tamatoa is destructive in this chapter and he will go bioluminescent again. Hopefully whatever happens will be to your satisfaction as there WILL be transformations and butt whooping. I'm not sure if I did justice with my research, but I'm glad its making someone happy. And yeah, it made me happy to finally write out the proper reunion as well as the build up to discovering and realizing his ACTUAL identity. After all they went through, they both earned that reunion scene (I kind of see Moana breaking the spell on herself earned her the reward of reuniting with Maui).

 **jhalpernkitcat:** As tempting as it was to use Tala, I wanted it to be Sina because I felt that she needed to be the one to help break the spell and I wanted to use the love between a parent and a child in this chapter. I believe that Motonui adores the family enough to protect them and Sina WOULD have gone after Hoani if Maui hadn't stepped in. Man, even the readers hate Hoani! Arataki was originally the one to yell that at Hoani until I saw a better reason to use her through Tamatoa alongside her significant other. And I wanted Moana to be able to face her possessor instead of cower and telling him to get off the island was too badass to not use.

Yeah, I felt that the transformation would have to be painful (he IS getting those tattoos back the hard way, which is where I got the inspiration, like with how removing tattoos in real life in the wrong manner would lead to risk of scarring). And... yeah, I couldn't pass up using that line from his song either. It felt right to me (though I wasn't able to listen to _"You're Welcome"_ the same way a couple of times).

With Tamatoa, you can have a mix of both scary and pure humor, which I try to keep in mind when I write/plan how he reacts to things. As for his transformation, remember how he recalls how becoming a human was like getting compressed, having limbs get forced into your body, and having your body and insides get twisted to be able to adapt to that form? Its the opposite, but maybe more painful. I didn't focus too much on that because I was more focused on Moana and Maui escaping, while Moana would witness the build up to Tamatoa's real form and the destruction it causes. (*To the tune of 'Goodbye Moonmen* _Goodbyyyyyyyyyye fale_!*) Oh man, I wish Subuku no Jess could let you listen to her reading of the chapter and the ending. It was awesome, especially how she plays out Tamatoa yelling in pain, his following laugh, and his last line. *looks at Tamatoa* Hey, what are you doing?

 **Tamatoa's response to jhalpernkitcat: *as he looks at himself* How exactly did I get these marks on my body? *reads messages* Yes I can see you obviously like green... I don't recognize that creature... that must be your other name... is this meant to be a reference to that deleted scene from the show you humans might know as 'Gravity Falls'? And yes, I've seen that show... and before you ask no, I have not met the demon triangle in person.**

 **ChangelingRin:** Tattoo removal is said to a pain and getting tattoos are said to be a pain. And it was said that turning into a human was painful for the mermaid in the original tale so... yeah it's not fun to be either Maui or Tamatoa in that chapter.

 **Key:** Uh... that's not happening, so Maui doesn't have to go chasing after them. Especially since the ocean is a bit more active in helping Moana out with the crab infestation problem on Motonui.

 **CrystallceAngelBlossom:** I guess you might review the other chapters long before I post this, but thanks for reading this. My memory is bad too at times since I get distracted... like I day dream a lot kind of distraction.

 **Tamatoa's response to CrystallceAngelBlossom: Wow, uh... thanks. *grins* And yes, my voice IS awesome and I am 'supery shiny' as you put it. *accepts gifts* Huh, I've never seen these before but I can put them to good use. I could use some variety on my shell. Thank you and... I guess I would accept the hug since you offered me much praises and gifts.**

 **OfficalWhiteFireTheDragon:** I wanted Moana to break the spell herself, so I'm glad this made you guys happy. :) The bad voice in her head is like the bad voices we have in all our heads, but it has more prominence thanks to the spell. You know, I would love it if in the event they do a Moana musical, they could have a number or do this thing where she has thoughts and the 'good voice' is her grandmother and then she has a 'bad voice' is Tamatoa since they both represent opposing ideals of one's self.

Sigh... it really did look like it was going to happen, but alas this is a particular AU so Tamatoa had a chance to screw him over. Fun fact: had Moana made the change permanent, those scars would have eventually vanished altogether. As for her fate in Tamatoa's hands... well, we will see.

 **Tamatoa's response to OfficalWhiteFireTheDragon: Well I do have one idea that involves a gold statue. I just need to go and... borrow it... for a second.**

 **Nausicaa of the Spirits:** I could see why Zootopia won now as well as La La Land, but Moana did suffer from bad timing. I'm kind of surprised they didn't nominate 'We know the way' but I can see why 'How far I'll go didn't get the win.' Still annoys me though. La La Land had good music but the story was cliche and it got boring at parts.

 **Tamtoa's response to Nausicaa of the Spirits:... Wow, I'm REALLY amazed just how violent you guys can get when it comes to-**

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, SPARKLES!"

"What the–oh... it's you." Tamatoa looked down to see Arataki. "For some reason."

"You know what, since Moana isn't under your spell, how about I spare you the trouble and do the readers a favor?" Arataki grinned at the crab. She turned to her brother and said "Hey Hoani! Consider the coconuts!"

"The what?" Hoani asked, but then Arataki grabbed his shoulders and punched him... somewhere we can't say since this is still a Disney fan fic. But it was enough to let out a painful yell and fall to his knees.

"EXACTLY!" Arataki laughed.

Seconds later, Arataki was forced to leap out of the way as Maui went rushing in her direction with Moana still on his back. "WATCH IT, MUSCLES!" Arataki snarled at Maui as Tamatoa made to grab something. Right when his story counterpart appeared, he slammed down a giant golden statue of a man across his back and stunned him.

"That's what you get for trying to upstage me." Tamatoa merely commented to his other counterpart, who had been knocked out in the attack.

 ***days later, the writer was sued for allowing Tamatoa to steal and enlarge the oscar that was won for best song of 2016 (sadly not from Moana) to use against his counterpart. The writer commented that the event was not canon in any way, so therefore neither of them could be sued.***

 **I want to thank you guys for sticking with this fic, reading it, and giving it reviews thus far. It makes me happy to see how much you guys like it and your support helps fuel this story and this weird little AU I thought of back in December.**

 **Well, I've been going back through the previous chapters to catch errors and I'm trying to fix them... or at least I'm trying to. I wish those didn't escape me so often, its really annoying.**

 **On the other hand, I finally got my copy of Moana on blu-ray/DVD and I am happy to own it at last. Of course watching it helped refresh my memory for this fic quite a lot and I did get a laugh over seeing Moana in her ceremonial outfit during the end of 'Where you are' because... things going on here are a lot different while she's currently wearing it.**

 **So... I AM splitting the entire final battle into two chapters because there was a lot to be done and covered. This might be for the best and you'll see what I mean.**

 **I'm not going to use the 'animal necklace' theory for Maui's transformations because there are some I want to give him, including a certain creature known as the hawaiian day octopus. Why that one? Well... you will understand later on. The other one is... something I could not resist. :)**

 **...The weird thing is, I kind of miss writing Maui out when he can't talk but still interacts with Moana, but I don't want to be a jerk to him. In the meantime, for those of you who wanted to see Maui be able to properly fight Tamatoa in the movie, this is part one of my gift to you guys. I admit I've had a lot of fun with it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12:The perfect guardian**

If Moana had been told three weeks ago that she was going to be chased after a giant crab, she probably would have laughed at it. If she had been told that a demi-god was going to get her away from said crab with her dangling over his shoulder, she would have scoffed and asked if she looked like she wanted to be someone who needed to be rescued. Three weeks ago, she thought the worst thing that could happen was that she would either mess up the dance or not get everything ready in time. Definitely not getting put under a spell or face getting dragged into the realm of monsters.

Of course the powers of fate had been very particular with Moana to lead to her getting carried off to safety by a trickster demi-god while a giant murderous crab was chasing after them. It was as if to say 'no, things could get much worse than beyond your wildest imagination. Now go have fun with them.'

And now? She was scared, but she was also frustrated due to learning exactly _why_ this was happening to begin with in the first place.

"OK start talking!" Moana yelled to the man she thought she knew for the past three weeks (and who got his voice back not more than ten minutes ago). "How much of what he said is true?! Did you really make a deal with Tamatoa to turn into a human?! Why did you even want to in the first place?!" She demanded as he continued to run while she tried to hold on for dear life.

"Oh _gods_ kid," Maui groaned as he was interrupted from his thinking while trying to get Moana away from his ex-friend. "Does it look like I got time for this?!"

" _Well oh gee, I wonder why he's after me!_ " Moana waved one hand in the air as she snapped at Maui with as much sarcasm as she could create.

At that moment they both heard the trees crashing a good distance behind them and Moana could swear that she could see trees being thrown aside into the air. It didn't take long to see a large claw waving left and right as it knocked several trees aside. She figured out that the trees might slow Tamatoa down, but eventually he would catch up. "He's gaining on us!" Moana warned and Maui quickly turned directions as he tightened his hold on her.

"WHERE ARE YOU?!" Tamatoa stopped knocking the trees away as he made to carefully observe the exact location of his prey. It was true that Maui could easily blend in with this area, but not the girl who was wearing a certain shade of red in her attire.

"Ok, I admit that trying to earn appreciation from all mortals for a short time was getting to be repetitive with each new generation!" Maui quietly hissed to Moana as he slowly backed away from the area. "And I was being taken advantage of, including by that cheapskate that came to visit you guys!" He thought that he would dread this explanation but thanks to the timing it was a lot less dramatic than he thought it would be. On one hand, he was getting it over with, but on the other–well, really bad sense of timing on Moana's part.

"So you got sick of us?!" Moana angrily hissed back as she tried to look around for an escape route.

"What–no!" Maui hissed back. "Why would I go through this if I got sick of you?! Our big problem even flat out told you that I used to be one!"

"What does that even mean?!" Moana hissed a little too loudly before clapping a hand over her mouth.

Tamatoa quickly picked up Moana's voice and he chuckled. "Come out come out where ever you are!" He practically sang as he walked closer towards the area where Maui and Moana were hiding.

"Look, where's a good spot around here to get on his back?" Maui hissed at Moana. "If your grandmother was right, then I need to get my hook back from him."

"Why does he have it in the first place, did you give that up too?" Moana hissed.

Before he responded, Maui looked up to see Tamatoa approaching before making a run for it. Unfortunately for him, Tamatoa caught the flash of red of Moana's dress and he proceeded to chase after them.

"I'm going to get you sooner or later!" Tamatoa yelled as he charged after them, though the trees and the uneven terrain were slowing him down. "Ugh, stupid twigs!" He snarled as he knocked some aside with the back of one of his claws.

"So yes, I did take up his offer because I was doubting myself as well as you how genuine all your appreciation towards me was!" Maui continued to explain to Moana as he ran around the trees to get away from the crab. "Look its really too complicated to elaborate right now, but I was stupid enough to let this become a bet and I'm sorry that I didn't realize that he'd go after you if I messed up!"

"So all that was why you were depressed when I first met you?!" Moana demanded. "Because you felt like you had to keep earning our appreciation?! Why didn't you just try to be friends with me like I offered?! You wouldn't have needed to keep giving me gifts or win my approval for anything!"

"I can't because I'll always outlive you mortals and you wouldn't have understood what I was going through!" Maui yelled as Tamatoa slowly gained on them.

"If you told me then maybe I would!" Moana yelled back.

"You know I can hear you two idiots arguing!" Tamatoa yelled to both of them and Maui internally cursed as he tightened his hold on Moana. He looked around before leaping off a ledge to enter another area, while Moana felt his shoulder slam into her body when he hit the ground. He recovered and continued on his way.

"Ok, I make mistakes! Is that what you want to hear?! Was it that wrong for me to get a little selfish?!" Maui demanded.

"I–!" Moana stopped as she realized he had a point. She had stressed out about a similar case last night.

Maui made another turn and found a small area hidden behind some large rocks and trees where he could stop and take a breather. He needed it if he needed to conserve energy for this, so that was where he quickly went.

He set Moana down for a minute and the girl looked up as he tried to gather his thoughts as he tried to catch his breath. The hiding spot was big and well covered that Tamaota wouldn't be able to see either of them.

As for Moana, she took this time to look Maui over again. She had forgotten that she barely made out his tattoos when she first met him, but she had no idea how much he actually had. It answered a few questions she had since she first saw him on the shoreline and a part of her had to admit that she liked the tattoos since they added to his already impressive appearance, but they also reminded her of his last question to her.

"I thought I was being punished for being selfish myself yesterday." Moana slowly admitted. "I really wanted to go out on the ocean, but I didn't mean for you to get in trouble or for the boats to almost be destroyed. I got so stressed out over what happened–what _could_ have happened–and what being a Chief would have to mean for me that I believed no one cared about what I wanted and I accepted any distraction. That's how Tamatoa got to me." Moana cringed as she realized how easy it was for her to become prey to Tamatoa. "I did try to get away when I finally picked up on what he was doing, but I should have–" Moana shut her eyes as her hands balled up into fists. "I don't know what I could have done differently. I mean, I can see what he meant by accusing me of being like the others and now my island is in trouble because of me."

Moana's words gave Maui a twinge of anger at Tamatoa since he was starting to get an idea of what exactly happened, in addition to the fact that Tamatoa was able to make her feel this awful about herself. _The second I'm getting my hook back, I'm going to beat the living daylights out of him!_ He scowled. "All of this is my fault, not yours, so don't blame yourself." He told her. "He has a way of taking a person apart and bringing them down."

"It's true that I had to make a genuine connection with a human who wanted me in their life in order to become one." Maui admitted as Moana opened her eyes to look at him. "But despite what he said, I really was ready to give that up because I didn't want you to feel like I was just using you like he did." There was a lot he could say but they didn't have time for that so he took a breath and held a hand out. "Look, I don't care what you think of me right now, but I do want you to be happy and feel free to be yourself." He stared at the girl, whose eyes reflected a conflict within her.

"I... I don't know what to say." Moana confessed as she crossed her arms against her body. She did not expect any of this to happen, so how could she react? "It's just... I just wish you didn't feel like you had to resort to falling for Tamatoa's offer and you could have at least tried to find someone to talk to, like me." Honestly, if he had stuck around when she was a child, so much could have been prevented and maybe life would have been a bit more interesting. Then a sad thought occurred to her that she didn't want to voice, but she had to do it. "I mean did it ever occur to you that maybe he was lying and that it would have been temporary either way?" Moana looked Maui in the eyes.

"Where are you?!" They heard Tamatoa demand as he knocked the trees over and looked around for them. "I swear I'll go back and level out the rest of the village if you don't show yourself!"

Moana gasped as she clutched a hand to her mouth. _Oh no. No, no, no, no, no._ She didn't want that to happen, but she didn't want to give herself up that easily. When she felt Maui grab her shoulders, she looked at him and moved her hand away from her mouth.

"I am not letting you give yourself up to him, so you better start thinking." Maui quietly, yet firmly demanded. "We need to get to higher ground so that I can get my hook."

"And how do you propose we get it off him?" Moana demanded back.

Maui tried to think. There were so many ways to distract Tamatoa since fighting was not going to cut it at the moment. Wait a minute. "Did your dad take anything of his by any chance?" Maui remembered that Tamatoa mentioned that Tui had gotten curious about him and he seemed to be familiar with the necklace somehow.

Moana tried to think. "Maybe something that looked like a scale." She recalled seeing Tamatoa take something identical to his adornments out of her fale.

Ok, that explained a lot.

"Ok, give me a moment to think!" Maui then grabbed Moana and slung her over his shoulder again. He then darted out of the safety of their hiding spot and ran out so that Tamatoa could see them, while the girl hung on for dear life.

"Oh so you finally- OH COME ON!" Tamatoa yelled in frustration as they darted into the trees. He let out an annoyed grunt and proceeded to resume the chase. "I hate this stupid island and everything on it!" He hated pretty much all that lived on it and the landscape itself, from the trees to the annoying livestock that the humans kept around.

Maui quickly thought of a plan. "I think I know how to distract him, but we need to get to a spot where you can get on him and get the hook back!"

"Why me?!" Moana demanded as she began to sense what Maui was going to do.

"Because I'm going to be the bait! And you know this island better than me so once you get it back, do not let him get you!" He didn't want to force her into it and put her at risk, but he had no choice and he was confident that Moana would be able to do this if she wanted to. She already proved herself enough for him to put his trust in her and he knew she was not going to try to run away.

Moana tried to think. "I think I know one spot."

* * *

Meanwhile back in the village, a group of villagers and visitors gathered together to get ready to go after the crab to try to save Moana.

"Whatever you do, do not attack him!" Arataki yelled at them. "We're trying to get the girl back, not claim bragging rights!" When she saw Tui hurry towards her, she held her hand up. "Oh no you don't! Do you have any experience with fighting monsters?!"

"He's going after my daughter!" Tui yelled.

"Trust me and let me handle this!" Arataki yelled back. "Ok, let's go!" She yelled at the others and ran towards the direction that Tamatoa went, along with her group.

Meanwhile, Sina was rocking back in forth where she sat and was wringing her hands.

"She'll be fine." Tala tried to reassure Sina. "She knows this island better than that creature. They will take care of him."

"What if he does take her away?" Sina worried. "What if this was all my fault?"

"It's not and I am confident that he won't." Tala smiled. "She's got our brains, your compassion, her father's determination, and she has the perfect guardian to help her."

"I suppose that is all true." Sina admitted with a smile before letting out a small laugh.

"What is so funny?" Tala smiled.

"I just realized that we've had demi-god over at our home!" Sina let out a harder laugh. She was trying to ease her fears with such silly thoughts, but it helped calm her down somewhat. _Please protect my daughter and keep her safe._ Sina pleaded to Maui. _Please return her to us. Return her to me._

* * *

As Tamatoa came across a hill that was more like a cliffside with a few trees growing out at an angle at the very top so that they were almost horizontal, he was getting annoyed. While the sky wasn't completely dark, there were already extremely faint hints of his bioluminescence on his body.

"You can't keep the girl away from me, Maui!" He yelled. "You can't save every human!"

"You know, you weren't very specific on what you were going to take!" Tamatoa paused and he turned around to see Maui looking up at him with a scowl. "Especially a mortal of all things!"

Tamatoa grinned down at Maui. "Well you do understand that if I take her than that is more than enough for you to lose favor to both the gods and the humans, right?" He then frowned when he saw that something was wrong with the picture. "Wait a minute, where is she?"

"And what exactly would happen if I helped her dad get to Lalotai with all the islanders?" Maui countered back as Moana quickly walked up the cliffside and was also forced to climb up parts of it. She had to put some of that experience of climbing up coconut trees to good use if she wanted to make this easier for herself.

"Actually that reminds me," Maui added as he held a finger up. "You said that Moana was going to go specifically after her dad, right?"

"Hey I was doing her a favor that worked for my benefit." Tamatoa shrugged. "Now where is the human?" He demanded. "Where is she hiding this time?"

"So you didn't tell her to do that because her dad took one of your treasures?" Maui countered with a grin, knowing that he would get Tamatoa distracted with this. The moment Tamatoa paused and then scowled, he knew that he bought it.

"It would have served him right! No one takes anything from Tamatoa!"

Moana glared at Tamatoa when he said this, but she forced herself to get up the cliff so that she could be slightly above Tamatoa's shell. She could see a large fish hook made of what looked like bone in the middle of all the treasures he wore upon it–it had to be Maui's because there was no other. From what she could see, the hook was well crafted and it looked almost as large as its owner–she could see that it could not belong to anyone else but him.

"Isn't that disproportionate retribution?" Maui countered. "From what I gather, he found something of yours but he also didn't know that it was yours to begin with... plus I'm guessing you lost it somehow. Did it have to do with the ocean?" Maui smirked as the idea of Tamatoa fighting with the ocean was amusing to think about. "It was the ocean, wasn't it?" He raised his eyebrow at the crab.

"Shut up!" Tamatoa yelled.

"Hey its ok to admit that you lost a few treasures along the way to Motonui." Maui shrugged as his grin widened (Also he _really_ enjoyed hearing the sound of his voice again, now that he actually had a moment to really listen to what he was saying). "And I know enough to know that the ocean can be a bad person when it wants to be. I'm guessing you were in such a hurry to get away from the big blue that you didn't notice that you lost a piece."

"Shut it!" Tamatoa yelled again as Moana finally made it above his shell and continued to get higher up the cliff. Maui caught a quick glance at this before he got creative.

"So, to recap, you lost a treasure that Tui found and you decided to kill him for it through his daughter. Of course I'm assuming that's the real reason why you did it because I can't peg you as helping her by killing her father. And you also thought you could blend in with the humans and make your escape while she did the dirty work." His masquerade almost cracked to reveal the anger at the memory of what Moana was forced to almost commit, but he was able to keep it in place. "Yeah, the human disguise was good, but I was still able to recognize you in an instant. A little flashy but kind of tacky at the same time."

"Well your little human didn't seem to think so before I had her under my control!" Tamatoa grinned as Moana began to head to the trees. "She followed me by my singing while she still had her free will and she couldn't stop looking at me! And she didn't tell me to shut up like you did!"

Maui lost the mask for a moment as Moana stopped and looked down for a moment. "Uh...what?"

 _Wait, Maui was the one who told him to shut... oh_. Moana got it as she continued to head for one of the trees. _Ok, that makes sense now._ She rolled her eyes.

"In the end, it proves my point." Tamatoa grinned at Maui. "Only outer beauty is all that matters. Something which you seemed to lack before she found out the truth a few minutes ago. Not that you had much to begin with."

"Eh, unlike you I'm all natural." Maui smirked as he saw that Moana was judging the distance. "Ok, I have to maintain it because I can't let this perfect physique go to waste, but it's a lot better when you got the brains to go with it."

Moana then chose that moment to dash across the tree and leapt off when she was right above Tamatoa's shell. It was no different than diving into the ocean, but it definitely hurt when she landed on the shell and tumbled hands first into the treasure pile with an "Omph!"

Tamatoa (who felt her land on his back) quickly turned his head around to see the girl crawl towards the center of the shell as fast as she could. She looked up in time and let out a gasp when she saw the extremely large set of familiar blue eyes.

Quickly realizing what was going on, Tamatoa turned to Maui and made to smack him away with the back of his claw while moving fast enough to try to throw the human off his back. The movement caused Moana to fall over, but Maui quickly ran away and dodged the attack. Instead, Tamatoa was forced to turn and try again, forcing Moana to tumble across the treasures with a yelp. She was able to stop when Tamatoa made to slam his claw down upon Maui and she was able to get closer to the hook as Maui succeeded in dodging the attack. Finally she was able to quickly get to the hook and grabbed onto it before trying to rush to the side of the shell. As Tamatoa tried one last time to shift hard enough to throw her off and attack Maui, Moana was able to throw the hook off his back as hard and as far as she could before she collapsed onto the treasures again.

At that point, Tamatoa was finally able to smack Maui away and set him flying into the ground a good distance away before he finally reached back to grab Moana around her waist. She let out a yelp when he felt him squeeze her, and she felt herself get turned over and was pulled to the front. She found herself getting thrown up and flipped right side up before the claw caught her again and when she came to her senses, she found herself staring at the true face of Tamatoa.

"So is that what you meant by him inspiring you humans?" Tamatoa laughed in amusement before looking an amazed Moana in the eye. "That reminds me... do you like what you see this time?" He grinned and barred his teeth at her.

Moana couldn't help but stare at the creature before her. Despite his colors and all the treasures he wore, he wasn't that appealing to the eyes. She could see the barnacles on his chin and on his teeth for one thing and the fact that his face didn't look like an actual coconut crab's and his eyes almost looked human was really unsettling. Also he was large enough that he could easily toss her in his mouth if he wanted to. _I let that mouth kiss my hand!_ Moana realized with a grimace as she noticed the barnacles on his teeth again. _I was right–his voice is impressive but he is horrible both inside and out. No amount of treasures or charms could make him a better person._

Maui had managed to get up at this point and was running towards Tamatoa. He almost made to yell at him until he noticed that his fish hook was not on Tamatoa's back which meant that... _There it is!_ He saw it laying amongst the rocks near Tamatoa and grinned. As he carefully maneuvered his way to the hook, he mentally laughed to himself. _Oh I am_ so _going to enjoy what'll happen next!_

"It doesn't matter!" Moana snapped at Tamatoa. "Being a human or a giant crab doesn't change who you are on the inside–you're still the same low level monster who tried to make me kill my own father!"

Tamatoa lost his smile and growled at the girl as he tightened his hold on her, causing her to yelp. _"You should be grateful that I was able to offer you any help at all and yet you still threw it away! And you dare think that I'm below you?! It doesn't change what you almost did!"_

" _You weren't helping me!"_ Moana growled back. _"You were just trying to stop Maui!"_

"Well unfortunately for you babe, I'm a crab of my word, so you're coming with me!" Tamatoa snarled as he began to walk away and head towards the nearest shoreline he could find.

 _Oh no, no, no!_ Moana panicked as she tried to look around to find Maui and struggled to get out of Tamatoa's claws, but she couldn't escape as his grip was too strong. _I can't escape! Wait, maybe I could try to buy some time for us!_ She realized as she decided to follow Maui's example. She didn't know if Tamatoa would fall for the same sort of trick twice, but she had to try.

"So wait are you planning on turning me into one of your treasures?" Moana asked. "Because you said I would make, and I quote, 'a lovely ruby jewel.'" Which honestly she barely understood.

Tamatoa flinched at this and stopped. "What? No, that was a metaphor! Yes you're wearing red like a ruby, but killing someone means blood, which is also red, and blood is shiny like a–ARGH! Why am I explaining this to you?!" Tamatoa yelled in annoyance. "I bet you don't even know what a ruby is!"

At this point, Maui finally grabbed the fish hook and quickly spun it around in his grasp as he pictured the form he wanted to take. The fish hook's markings glowed with a blue light and he felt his body transform in a way that did not physically hurt him–in fact, it was like putting on a new lavalava.

The moment Tamatoa heard the flash, he realized he forgot about the hook and when he felt a burst of air near his body, he quickly turned around. When he looked up to see a familiar large brown hawk glaring down at him in the air, he realized what was about to happen.

"OH YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Tamatoa yelled as Moana stared in awe at the hawk, before it was engulfed in a flash of blue light and turned into a huge whale.

Tamatoa quickly scurried away with the little princess still in his claw before the whale came down with a crash. The whale scowled in anger before it turned into a hawk again and this time it soared towards Tamatoa who was trying his hardest to get away.

"LET GO OF HER!" Maui yelled as he finally got around Tamatoa and grabbed one of his antennae with his talons. Tamatoa let out a painful yell as the hawk tried to pull his head back and the crab desperately tried to smack the hawk away with his free claw. "LET GO OF _ME_!" Tamatoa yelled at Maui.

"That's it, get him!" Moana cheered in excitement. Finally she was getting to see Maui do what he was known for and it was actually quite enjoyable to behold!

"Who said _you_ could play cheerleader?!" Tamatoa shook the claw with Moana, causing the girl to cry out in protest and hold on for dear life. At this point, Maui let go of Tamatoa's antennae and caused the crab's head to bob forward, which made him stop shaking the human in his hold.

 _I need to get Moana away and stop him for a bit._ Maui desperately thought as an idea came to him. He soared over Tamatoa's shell and changed into a lizard before landing on it and proceeded to scamper to the side of his shell.

Tamatoa shook his head and looked around. "Where is he?!" he demanded as he looked around. Unknown to him, Maui got to the edge of the shell and then decided to use a specific form that just happened to be a natural predator to crabs. And not just any specific form–this one was going to be spectacular since he got the idea from a monster he faced once before.

He leapt off the shell and quickly turned around as he changed forms.

Without warning, Tamatoa felt something reach over his back and latch on. He turned around in time to see a reddish brown and tan colored octopus large enough to rival his own size as it latched another tentacle around his claw. He let out a panicked yell as Moana held on, and though he tried to kick against the octopus with all his might, the many legged creature was able to latch another arm over his shell.

"See..." Maui grunted as he pulled the shell towards him and used his current form's remaining arms to keep his ground and one of them latched onto a large rock, "You..." He pulled harder, despite how much Tamatoa was trying to kick at him. "On..." He was straining now but then he gave a mighty tug "The..." Another tentacle pried open the claws that held onto Moana and it caught the girl before she could fall and get seriously hurt. "Flip side!" He yelled as he was able to use the remaining legs to help keep his balance and move him along as he successfully flipped Tamatoa right onto his back, causing the crab to yell out while the octopus carefully set Moana onto the ground.

Falling to the ground made Moana tumble to her hands and knees, but she was still able to crawl away from her captor before scampering back to her feet. Her heart was pounding and she was shaking after her encounter with Tamatoa, but otherwise she was ok. As she looked up, she found herself locking eyes with the giant octopus, but unlike with the giant crab, she felt no fear towards the creature. In fact she hurried towards him as fast as she could, while Tamatoa tried to scramble back up.

She let out a breathless laugh as she ran towards the octopus, who quickly reached a tentacle out, which wrapped around her waist. Moana held onto it with a big smile as the octopus pulled her towards him and when she was close enough to see the familiar dark brown eyes smiling at her, the creature placed her on top of him before he shifted forms. Moana felt herself fall until she landed on a feathery surface, but she quickly latched her arms around the neck of the giant hawk that Maui changed into and held on as tightly as she could.

Satisfied to know that Moana held onto him, Maui quickly flapped his wings and took her into the sky. "You ok, kid?" he asked her.

"That was _awesome_!" Moana laughed. "You got him good!" Had she been scared? Yes, but was seeing that fight worth it? Oh yes it was!

"Not yet, I still need to figure out how to get him off Motonui!" Maui warned her as he got higher and higher. "I just needed to buy us some time!"

Meanwhile, Moana hanged on for dear life as the giant hawk took her up into the air until she could see a huge portion of her island below her. A part of her was enjoying herself as she was being taken high up into the air, but she knew that the trouble below was not done yet. She could see Tamatoa struggling to get up from down below them while Maui tried to look around for a place to lure Tamatoa away. He knew he needed to act fast before he put her at risk again.

 _I can't lead him anywhere near the village._ Maui looked there for a moment before looking around. _Where's the nearest shoreline?!_

Moana then saw the destruction caused to her island, including the trail of uprooted and destroyed trees, earth, and whatnot from when Tamatoa chased them. What made her heart stop was that she could see the damage done to her village in the distance–the community fale was pretty much gone, including a good chunk of the plant life around it, and there were a few more fales that had been damaged along with some trees.

 _No..._ Moana felt a deep regret and was horrified by the sight. _If only I had seen that this was going to happen. Are the others ok? Mom, Dad, Grandma?_ If she could have done one thing differently then this all could have been avoided.

Down below them, Tamatoa finally managed to grab onto a bunch of trees and got himself back on his legs, but now he was incredibly angry at both Maui and the little human. He saw them high in the sky and grinned as he grabbed one of the trees, snapped it in half, and then sent the upper end right at the bird as hard as he could.

Moana looked down in time to let out a warning yell. "LOOK OUT!" The tree managed to not hit them, but Maui was still able to look down in time to see what happened before trying to fly farther up. The crab down below was not fazed by this and tried to throw another half of a tree at the hawk.

Moana tightened her hold as Maui tried to dodge the tree thrown at them. Gritting her teeth in anger, she waited until Maui was forced to dodge a third tree before she looked down at the crab and yelled "QUIT DESTROYING MY ISLAND OR ELSE I'LL COME DOWN THERE AND PUNCH YOU IN THE EYE, YOU OVERGROWN DIVA!"

This made both the hawk and the crab stop in stunned silence.

"Punch me... in the eye?" Tamatoa winced as he wondered if that would actually hurt him, even though he doubted the little human could manage it.

"Uh, you did break the spell upon you, right?" Maui asked as he fought the urge to smirk.

"JUST GET HIM OUT OF HERE!" Moana snapped at him.

"Ok Your Highness!" Maui glanced one more time at the spot he thought he could lure Tamatoa away and began to fly there.

"Ugh, I'm getting tired of this!" Tamatoa sighed as he found himself once again chasing after Maui as fast as he could. Luckily he destroyed most of the obstacles in his way, so this wouldn't have to take too long.

"He's catching up!" Moana looked behind her as she kept her hold around the hawk's neck as he soared across her island.

"I need him to be able to follow me!" Maui told her, but he kept himself from saying what he was also going to do when he saw the right moment.

"He's throwing trees again!" Moana yelled in a panic as Tamatoa made to rip another tree off the ground and threw it at them. Maui quickly looked back and dodged, but he could feel Moana about ready to slide off him when he titled too far. He could almost feel her grip tighten before he could quickly readjust himself so that she would not be dangling right off his neck. She didn't scream but he could almost feel her shaking in fear above him.

 _I never meant for any of this to happen._ Maui thought with regret. _Especially not to you._

He looked down and saw a group of villagers in the distance. If he was quick enough, he could fly ahead, make a sharp turn, and drop Moana off before leading Tamatoa away.

He had to let Moana go in order to save her and he had to keep his promise to her. He didn't want her to get hurt and there was no telling what would happen when she was out of the way. If he lost this fight, then Tamatoa would kill him or let him live and try to go after Moana. He could not afford that second option.

Plus, as much as he hated to admit it, he promised her father that he would look after her. This was the only way to make amends towards her and her family.

"Hey Moana!" He tried not to let how he really felt be known to her. "You're amazing, you know that?!"

"Huh?!" Moana perked her head up at this, but that was when Maui decided to make the sharp turn as soon as he came across the villagers. He flipped himself over a few times in the air and when Moana lost her grip, he knew with a heavy heart that he succeeded.

The action happened so fast for Moana that she didn't have time to yell and when she found herself falling downward while looking up to see Maui fly away, she realized what Maui had done. Seconds later she crashed through the branches and leaves of a tree that broke her fall before she landed on the ground. It hurt but otherwise she was completely unharmed.

She looked up in time to see Tamatoa's lower half chasing after the hawk, unaware that Maui had dropped her off. When he made a turn and headed away from the area, Moana, she kept staring. She heard her name be called and she turned to see a group of villagers and a few visitors–including Arataki and Kahurangi–approach her. All of them had weapons and were ready to fight the monster that came to Motonui, but it looked like there was not going to be a need for that.

"Oh thank the gods you're ok!" A male villager let out a sigh of relief as he came to Moana's aid and helped her up. "We feared the worst for you!" Everyone else murmured in agreement.

"He... he sent me back." Moana was stunned. "Maui got me away from Tamatoa."

He really meant it. He was going to take Tamatoa away and leave their island... and leave _her_. Otherwise he would would not have taken the risk to get her out of the fight before Tamatoa could catch up to them.

So why did she still feel uneasy?

"Huh, well I'll be." Arataki grinned as she came up to Moana. "I didn't expect this visit would get so exciting! Too bad I didn't get a chance to go after sparkles myself!"

"Maybe we won't have to." Kahurangi nervously glanced to where Maui and Tamatoa had gone. "I can't imagine the gods would take too kindly to what has happened."

"What do you mean?" Moana turned around to face the young man.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but those two had you as a prize for a bet, correct?" Kahurangi asked. "Not to mention most of Motonui was damaged and you were forced to injure your people in addition to going after your father."

"Plus our brother was stupid enough to deny Maui a reward when he helped us out and Maui responded by stealing a necklace that was supposed to go to your family." Arataki admitted with a grimace. "I see he means well, but it doesn't look like Maui has been acting like a hero lately."

"And then the constellation is–" Moana gasped as she put a hand over her mouth. _The gods are going to punish Maui! That's why the constellation has vanished, because he was putting us at risk of Tamatoa's wrath while trying to reject his status as a demi-god! What would the gods do to punish him?!_

 _And what if Maui can't beat Tamatoa?_ She wondered as a bad feeling crept into her heart. _What if he dies? What if Tamatoa does something horrible to him like tear a limb off as revenge? What if he comes after me and threatens my people?!_ So many lives could be at stake because of both her and Maui.

There shouldn't be any need for her to go after Maui as he was doing everything he could to keep her safe. He got her away from the conflict and she could just go ahead and go to her family. She knew she shouldn't have any obligation to him after all the danger she had faced up to this point.

Yet...

She looked at her necklace and held onto the pendant as her grandmother's words rang in her head.

" _We can choose to stick in the same spot forever or we can get up and try to move on. You can make the most of what life offers, you can fight your way out, or you can let someone else decide your path. You can stay on this island or you can leave._

 _Some people and causes are worth defying all odds. Some sacrifices are worth making and no matter how large your foe may be, you can overcome them by being your true self as well as being true to yourself."_

She had no reason to get caught up in Maui's fight and she had many a good reason not to after all that had happened. But on the other hand she didn't want to become a danger to her people if this fight didn't go in his favor... and she didn't want him to sacrifice himself for her if that was what was going to happen. She also did not want him to get punished by the gods if he survived.

She swore never to let herself get kidnapped and she had no desire to play the role of a damsel in distress, but she knew what she really wanted right now, more than anything. She decided to choose what she wanted and if she was going to get punished for it then she didn't care. Maui had been there for her countless times and granted her deepest wish, and though she failed to grant him his own, she refused to let his story end like this. She didn't care who he was or what he had done, he was still her friend. She had to take a big risk to help him as well as her family and her people.

"I'm sorry Maui." She said as her hold on the necklace tightened. "But now its my turn to help you." She looked at the siblings. "Tell my family that I love them." She then hurried past them and the others as fast as she could to the cave where her boat was. At the same time she thought she could hear thunder off in the distance.

* * *

The moment Maui reached the shoreline, he flew over it and turned around to come face to face with Tamatoa, who looked incredibly out of breath, but that would make this next part of the job much easier.

"You can't–" Tamatoa panted "Keep her–" Another breath "Away from me!" He wheezed as he struggled to stay upright. His bioluminescence was really beginning to show in the growing darkness of the evening sky.

"She's not going to be part of your revenge, so you can forget it!" Maui snapped. "If its me you want, then here I am!"

Tamatoa took another breath before he chuckled. "You know, I was almost tempted to kill you when you passed out from the transformation. I'm glad I didn't since I got to see you suffer, but I wouldn't mind getting another shot!"

Maui knew which form to take next. It would give him a certain disadvantage, but he needed something powerful in order to draw Tamatoa into the ocean and away from Motonui. The octopus form might not be able to work for too long in this area, but there was something else he could use.

He flew towards Tamatoa and right when he got close enough, he yelled "REMEMBER THIS?!" shifted forms again.

Before Tamatoa knew it, another large coconut crab about his size grabbed onto his claw and pulled him in a halfway arc towards the waters of the ocean. He tumbled into the water and before he could do anything, the other crab charged into him as hard as he could and shoved him farther into the water. When he was able to get a chance to smack the other on the back, his opponent was able to stop.

"ARGH!" Tamatoa growled as he turned to face the crab form that Maui took on. It was a form that Maui had used a few times back when they were much younger for the fun of it, though that form had of course been much smaller compared to this one. Unlike Tamatoa, Maui's crab form was composed of deep reds, oranges, and brown colors and it lacked any particular treasures. While Tamatoa did have the ability to go bioluminescent, Maui's crab form was able to do the same with intense reds and oranges that made him look like there was a fire glowing within him (in fact, he almost looked like a volcano that could erupt at any moment). Finally, Maui did not have the barnacles that were on Tamatoa's teeth and chin.

Maui charged again and tried to shove Tamatoa farther into the water, but this time the crab was able to cross his claws together and kept his footing. He only moved several feet (possibly yards) across the water instead of falling over.

"You really think you can beat me in that form?!" Tamatoa laughed. "I _am_ that form! I inspired it when you were a child!" He sent both claws into Maui's back and caused the crab to collapse into the water. "In fact if I recall correctly, I always defeated you when you turned into this!" He smacked Maui across the face before grabbing his neck as tightly as he could with his other claw.

"It's never too late to change that!" Maui struggled to say, but Tamatoa merely laughed.

"So where's your precious little human now, Maui?" Tamatoa asked as he looked at the other crab's back. "You really think I wouldn't notice?!"

Maui growled as he grabbed one of Tamatoa's legs and pulled him down into the water.

Maui then quickly rubbed his neck with the side of his claw before forcing the other crab up and shoved into him. "I'm more focused on beating you in this form than answering that and I'm pretty sure I'll win!"

"I BEG TO DIFFER!" Tamatoa yelled as he lunged forward with claws wide open, but Maui also did the same and when their claws were locked together, they both tried to press against each other.

 _I can't let him get back to Motonui!_ Maui strained as he tried to glance out to where they were. If he could get Tamatoa past the barrier reef, he could change into an octopus and pull Tamatoa away from the island. First he had to get out of this lock he was stuck in. _Can I bash his head? Kick him in the legs? Nah too far, but I got a better idea._

When he got him right where he needed him to (by that, he meant facing the ocean) Maui quickly let go of Tamatoa and moved aside as the crab accidentally launched himself forward towards the barrier reef.

Maui let out a laugh before he himself charged forward again.

* * *

Moana ran as fast as she could until she saw her village, but even then she kept running. When she heard her father yell "MOANA?!" She shut her eyes and forced herself to press on. _I can't stop for them. I have to keep going._

Tui himself could not believe that Moana was safe and unharmed as he had feared the worst. He had tried to follow the trail of destruction but he came to a stop when he saw his daughter coming. For one moment it was as if the nightmare had ended and yet she still ran past him, despite that she was finally safe.

"MOANA WAIT!" He yelled to her.

"I HAVE TO HELP MY FRIEND!" Moana yelled back, hoping that he would understand through those exact words.

This made Tui pause for a moment.

She really _was_ like him.

And yet, even if her friend happened to secretly be a demi-god (that came as a huge shock to him–he tasked _Maui_ of all people to look after Moana), Moana was still his daughter. He still did not want to risk losing her, so he tried one more time to run after her and get her away from the ocean but she was already way ahead of him. He heard the thunder and he could see the clouds coming towards Motonui, which meant the worst case scenario out on the ocean, which he had feared for a long time.

As luck would have it, Heihei had somehow been launched up a tree when Tamatoa had changed back into his true self and began his chase after Moana and Maui. Having just come to his senses, Heihei looked down to see Moana run under him and her father was not too far behind. In an extremely rare one out of ten moment of intelligence, Heihei saw that Moana was trying to get away from her father and when the moment was just right, he fell out of the tree and landed on Tui's head.

Tui freaked out with a yelp when he felt the creature land on him and he came to a stop so he could untangle Heihei's talons from his hair (which was unpleasant and earned him a few scratches). He grabbed Heihei off the top of his head and after identifying him, Tui set the rooster down before resuming his chase after Moana who was already too far ahead of him.

Meanwhile, Heihei's IQ dropped back down to its usual number and he continued on his way as if nothing happened.

* * *

"Son of a–!" Tamatoa growled as he remerged from out of the water and looked at Maui, who hurried towards him. Not discouraged by this, Tamatoa went ahead to charge forward at him. But right when he made Maui think he was about to tackle him head on, he changed directions and went around him.

"She's going to make a nice addition to my collection!" Tamatoa taunted as he hurried towards Motonui.

 _Oh l don't think so!_ Maui internally snarled before quickly shifting back into a hawk and flew towards Tamatoa. This time when he managed to turn into a whale above the bottom feeder, he was able to crash down upon Tamatoa, who let out a yell of pain.

"THIS HURTS ME TOO IF THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY, CRAB CAKES!" Maui yelled as he realized that he forgot that Tamatoa not only had his treasures on his back, but some of them happened to be pointy, long, and stuck out far enough that it was like the equivalent to getting a painful sliver or stepping on a spiky sea urchin.

"YES THAT DOES!" Tamatoa angrily roared out his agreement. "NOW GET YOUR HUMONGOUS FAT SELF OFF OF ME!"

Maui smirked as he shifted into an octopus and grabbed Tamatoa. "Don't you know its rude to insult someone's body type?!" He asked.

He flipped him over and then pushed him with all his might with all eight tentacles into the air before shifting into a shark so that he could flip right side up. As Tamatoa was sent back to the edge of the barrier reef with a crash, Maui changed back into a hawk and flew towards Tamatoa.

It was so tempting to turn this into a game of fun, but Maui had to remind himself that this was not a good place to fight and he was trying to keep Tamatoa away from Moana.

 _I think I almost liked him better when he couldn't talk!_ Tamatoa scowled as he struggled to get back up before Maui could reach him.

* * *

When Moana found the boat, she pushed against it with all her might. It wasn't easy without help and while she was still catching her breath after all that running, she had to make do.

"I am not going to put my people in danger!" Moana grunted. "And I am not going to let Maui get in trouble!" She finally got the boat in the water, just as she heard Pua squeal for her at the other end of the cave. Somehow Pua had found her and it almost looked like he was going to try to go with her.

"I'm sorry Pua, but I got to do this on my own!" Moana turned around to look at her companion before she shoved the boat farther into the water and got onto it. "Thank you for trying to tell me that it was Maui after all this time!" She took the oar and began to paddle as furiously as she could.

She had no clue what she was going to do when she got out there. She knew that she would give herself up to Tamatoa only as a very last resort. If there was a way to offer Maui help, she would be ready to give it to him.

Just as she went through the waterfall, she swore that she heard her father yell out "MOANA, NO!" But she refused to stop. She knew that if she did this, she might not be able to to come back ever again. She could not risk drawing Tamatoa to her people and those she loved if that was to happen.

"I'm sorry father." She whispered as she paddled across the water.

She could hear the sounds of splashing and yelling somewhere nearby and when she released the sail from its binds, she paddled towards it to increase the speed of the boat. As she did, she became aware that clouds were starting to form over Motonui and the water was starting to become aggressive. Combined with the sounds of thunder, she realized that a storm was coming without any warning.

"NO!" Moana pleaded as she quickly got the sail set up so that she could maneuver it if she needed to in an emergency. The waters were getting increasingly rough to navigate, but she recalled everything she had been taught so that she couldn't get flipped right into the water.

She gradually got closer to the yelling and then she could see two giant crabs fighting at the edge of the reef. Both were glowing, but she already knew which one was the one she had to avoid and which one was the one she wanted to help.

The waters were getting more violent and she quickly realized that there was no way anyone would dare go after her or aid Maui by crossing the reef. Was it possible that the gods had come after all and were going to invoke their wrath?

Meanwhile, on the shores of Motonui, Tui and Sina were both desperately trying to get onto the sea to reach their daughter, but the fishermen and the visitors were preventing this from happening.

"Trust me, its not safe!" Arataki told the couple as she and Awhina struggled to keep them away from their boats. "The storm, those monsters–you would have to be nuts to go out there!"

"Our _daughter_ is out there!" Tui yelled at Arataki. "She has no reason to get involved with those two!"

"She didn't have to, but she chose to!" Arataki yelled back. "Maui saved her and got her back to you, but she's made her choice!"

Sina looked towards the creatures fighting near the reef. "Please be careful." She pleaded to Moana. There was nothing she could do now but pray that the ocean would be kind to Moana and that she would be able to do what she was hoping to accomplish.

Meanwhile, Moana turned back to see the two crabs locked against each other. In a flash of blue, the crab with the red glow turned into a familiar looking giant octopus that grabbed the crab with the blue and pink glow and threw him over the reef and out into the ocean where he created a great splash that looked more like a tidal wave. The octopus quickly sank into the water and right when the crab remerged from the ocean, it was pulled back in by the other creature, just as the sky flashed bright with lightning for a brief second.

As Moana got closer, she eventually saw the crab force his way back up, along with the octopus who was determined to keep him away from the reef by wrapping his arms around the crab. It was a great struggle, yet when Tamatoa finally succeeded in clamping down on one of the tentacles as hard as he could, Moana could hear a familiar yell of pain from Maui before both creatures sank back down into the ocean.

"MAUI!" Moana yelled as she stood up and pulled the sheet so that the boat could get over to that exact spot as fast as she could make it. It was getting difficult since the waves were getting bigger and she was getting water thrown at her while she did everything she could to keep her balance on her boat. Eventually she made it at the edge of the reef, but the waters were still acting violent.

"I know you can hear me ocean!" Moana yelled out in hopes that it would hear her. "I don't know if this is the work of the gods or if you decided to create this storm, but I'm asking you to let me help Maui! There's too much at risk and I don't want Tamatoa to go after my people if he'll go after me!"

Somewhere far down below Moana, Maui was still trying to cling to Tamatoa while swimming away, but the crab was wising up and trying to test how long he could hold onto him before he was forced to let go. Unfortunately, Maui knew that it was soon going to be a matter of how long it would take before one of them couldn't be able to fight back and Tamatoa was going to eventually figure out a way to catch him off guard if not kill him. At this point, he was struggling more than Tamatoa was, who would recover faster than him, in addition to the fact that the strong currents from the storm were not helping him in any way. Also he was completely unaware that the person he was trying to protect was about to face a dangerous obstacle.

Just as Moana made it past the reef, the water began to rise up ahead of her to create a wave larger beyond any she could imagine. There was no way she could sail through it–death was certain.

Why was this all happening to begin with? If the ocean was causing this storm, then why was it doing it now of all times? Hadn't it saved her and Maui the day before and revealed that it was alive to her?

Wait a minute... she had found an abandoned boat near where she found Maui but he didn't confirm that was how he got to the island and he also acted as if the changes to his form were completely new to him when he woke up. Maui didn't recognize her at first when she found him on the shoreline, so he wasn't on Motonui because of her. Somehow the ocean itself brought Maui to Motonui, but why? Why her island of all places?

"You brought Maui to my island for a reason, didn't you?!" Moana yelled at the giant wave as thunder crashed once more. "If it was to help him, then let me pass!"

The wave continued to rise and head towards her. She was terrified that it would consume her, but her determination was far greater as she faced the wave.

"OCEAN PLEASE!" Moana yelled out her final plea as the wave grew so high that it was almost like a mountain. "LET ME HELP MAUI! LET ME HELP MY FRIEND!"

* * *

 **To be continued...**

 ***drinks tea as she observes the fight from a safe distance* Ah yes, Godzilla esque battles. Truly the most sophisticated of all fights.**

 **I think Tamatoa and Maui's fight has been among my favorite fights to write out in fan fiction history, including my Zelda fan fics. Good thing there's still more to come in the next chapter.**

 **Funny thing was, I had this idea to have Maui turn into a giant coconut crab like Tamatoa for one Moana fan fic idea/ that Tamatoa origin 'what if' I haven't gotten to. I have yet to get around to it (if ever) so I was able to use it here. Maybe not an original idea because I've already seen other attempts at crab!Maui, but was it worth it? Well... best decision ever! :D**

 **So I chose the hawaiian day octopus as a form for Maui because 1. I wanted an animal form that just happens to be a natural predator to crabs 2. Auli'i Cravalho is from Hawaii, so there was a reason why that creature's form would be used to protect Moana/ it's my way of honoring Auli'i 3. I like octopuses 4. I wanted a giant octopus 5. I WANT A KAIJU BATTLE BETWEEN THOSE TWO, YOU WANT A KAIJU BATTLE BETWEEN THOSE TWO, AND I CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS IN THIS FAN FIC, HECK YES!**

 **Also yes, I am aware of the irony of giving Maui an octopus form when it comes to this AU.**

 **Next time we reach the second half of the final battle. The boat might not be used that much, but Moana IS going to get her chance to fight this time around.**


	13. Her choice

**Shiori Kudo:** Ah ok. I haven't read or seen much of that one. Isn't the manga still ongoing though?

 **Tamatoa's response to Shiori Kudo: And I guess if you don't, then Maui will try to do it for you, right?**

 **Tamatoa's response to the guest who speaks through the fourth wall: I AM aware of the destruction, but I'm not going to stop. Why don't we just let the events unfold and you'll see what happens.**

 **Tamatoa's response to the guest who called him 'crabulous': Oh now** _ **you**_ **I like! You get me! You are crabulous yourself, so keep being your shiny self whoever you are!**

 **Tamatoa's response to Death to Barbie 0206: Yeah good luck with that. Remember what I sang?** _ **'My shell's too tough'**_ **so I doubt your hammer will work on me. Should have saved that for when I was still a human.**

 **Tamatoa's response to Child of Dreams:...Yeah, I don't know if I ever will since I need to ditch the writer pretty soon. You've certainly been a very interesting reviewer, I'll give you that.**

 **LunaiWolfWings:** Uh... can't say anything about that just yet (you might like a few things in this chapter though), but I like your review and yeah he is a crab version of Facilier.

 **Tamatoa's response to LunaiWolfWings: *looks at hat with approval* Hmmm... nice to know that I got friends on the other side.**

 **ProwlingAlone:** Whoah! I'm flattered. I... don't know how I make it so good. How do I make it so good to you? I guess I live for this story too since I'm the one writing it. :) And you are *sings* _welcome!_

 **Key:** Do not anger the not-princess of Motonui, she means business! I had to make her say that because it was too funny to pass up. There have been way too many cliffhangers than I intended with this fan fic, but I'm glad you like them.

 **jhalpernkitcat:** Oh ok, that was an amusing tale (it reminds me of how my family used to sneak into houses that were still under construction in the neighborhood). And the thing in question was a deleted scene you can easily find on youtube if you ever go check it out... if you haven't yet.

I wanted to acknowledge the slight bait role reversal in my notes, but I felt that it was too obvious. I have to admit, I wanted to do a running joke about creating holes in fale roofs (I don't know why and maybe I shouldn't find it funny), but I can see why the 'shut up' incident is a lot funnier. Maui hasn't had issues with the shark head, so it hasn't shown up... but the first time I saw that, I had no clue what to make of it and I just couldn't take everything involving it seriously.

I aim to make Tamatoa have that balance (its always 'how would he react?' with some quirk involved) hence the reaction to the 'ruby jewel' question. I actually drew out Moana's reaction when she had that thought and I can't wait to share that when I get the chance (she has SO much regret on her face). I've been reading that fan fic and I must say that it is really interesting and I like how the author paces everything while keeping everyone in character. Though lately there are moments where I think 'yeah the opposite is happening on my end.'

 **Nausicaa of the Spirits:** I have to agree with you, though I liked how the song was done. *grabs Heihei so that he can accept your thanks* Here you go. *Tosses him across the fourth wall.* I'll need him back by the end of this chapter.

 **Tamatoa's response to Nausicaa of the Spirits: Well do you want to find out how sadistic the writer can get? I trust you'll be somewhat satisfied.**

 **OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon:** Uh... The ocean has something going on, but you'll see what happens next. And... well, Moana doesn't need that. Let's just say my experience with video games and knowledge of a certain game I admit I haven't played (Shadow of the Colossus) is going to come in handy. And yeah, Moana music is SO much better than La La Land's.

 **Tamatoa's response to OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon: *takes the statue and looks at it* I don't think I have a speech prepared for this, but I will gladly accept it and I give you my thanks... as well as guaranteeing that I won't try to kill you if you touch this of all my treasures. And no they didn't but I totally would. Ever saw that twitter image of me attempting to steal one from the fox from the film that won for Best Animated Film that was sent to my voice actor?**

 **Subuku no Jess:** Watching the movie again helped me somewhat in how the chase scene could work and Tamatoa can adapt really fast, though he is more of a threat if he can stay in one place compared to running after you.

Yes, octopus hugs! I want a fan fic where Moana interacts with Maui in ALL his forms, because I can see a cuteness potential involved *thinks back to the shark nuzzling*. After recalling your crab Maui drawing, I had a strong feeling you would have loved what I did. I'm glad it made you happy and I would be interested in that fan fic.

 **Enigma:** That's ok. And thank you, we are getting close to that point, aren't we? As for the Tamatoa... Uh, he's not aware of that yet, but I'll bring it up to him.

 **Tamatoa's response to Enigma:... Ok, you know what? Screw this, I'm not getting sued. I'm going to ditch this fan fic.**

* * *

"OK you know what, I'm out of here!" Tamatoa yelled at the writer. "I didn't expect I'd get sued and I don't want to deal with what will come after this chapter!"

"Wait a minute, what?!" The writer gapped before realized what he meant. "Oh... well wait, you can't do that to my reviewers!"

"HALF OF THEM WANT ME DEAD!" Tamatoa yelled. "Though the other gave me some impressive stuff." He glanced to his shell to see many new treasures, including a hat, a statue, and stickers. "And you didn't do anything too weird with me, so I give you some respect."

"You aren't getting sued, its not canon! I even burned the charges before I could call up my semi-but not really-OC from my Zelda AU series to do it for me!"

"As amusing as this was, I'm leaving." Tamatoa turned around and began to walk away, but then glanced back. "What was your name again?"

The writer hesitated. "Uh... it's *CENSOREDFORPRIVACYREASONS*."

The crab paused before smirking. "Well so long then *CENSOREDFORPRIVACYREASONS*." He waved and then walked away.

The writer sighed as the crab vanished from sight. "Smart crab." She turned and walked away.

 **So I finally saw the live action Beauty and the Beast and I would recommend it. I smiled and I laughed and–argh, the long two year wait was worth it! Ten out of ten! If you saw it and didn't like it... its ok I understand.**

 **Other than that, I'm still trying to catch those errors I missed.**

 **This might be where that T rating** _ **finally**_ **comes in handy. Other than that, I can't say much... but this was a long chapter.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Her choice**

Having made her final plea to the giant wave, Moana could only close her eyes and pray that it was heard.

While the ocean had intended to use the storm to keep the fight separate from the island, it heard Moana's plea. It did not want the girl to be drawn into the conflict anymore but upon realizing that Moana's heart was completely set on her choice even in the face of danger itself, the ocean chose to obey rather than force her back home.

The wave stopped growing and split in half, causing a ripple of waves across the waters that eventually forced the boat towards the gap. When Moana heard this, she opened her eyes and watched in amazement as she was pushed through the gap where the water towered high above her like two mountains and when she completely made it through, she turned around in time to see the wave close up before it crashed back down and sent her farther out into the ocean. She hung onto the boat for dear life and when the waves finally calmed down a little, she finally took in her surroundings.

Yes, there was a storm developing but it had been much more active around her island while out here it wasn't as much, though it was enough to make the boat rock back and forth quite a lot. She even slightly glanced back to confirm this.

Was the storm created to force Maui and Tamatoa out? Or was it to keep everyone out of the fight, including herself?

She turned around to see a familiar wave of water rise up to greet her. She had so many questions for it, but she still had more important matters to attend to.

"Thank you." Moana sighed in relief. "Now–" She paused. "I... I don't have a plan." She realized with a combination of embarrassment and horror. She wanted to help but she didn't plan on how she would do it.

The wave flinched as if to say _'Are you serious?!'_

"Ok, I didn't think this through!" Moana admitted. "I was focused on just getting out here, but–!" She held a hand up. "Give me a minute." Moana told the wave as she quickly thought about what to do. _I don't know if I can fight Tamatoa, but I could try if I need to. I doubt I can convince him to stop what he is doing or try to appeal to him–I don't think trying to be compassionate would work on someone like him._ Moana thought some more. _But if the ocean gave him a hard time earlier then–_

"If I can tell Tamatoa that the gods might punish him alongside Maui, he might buy it, but I'll need your help." Moana told the wave. "And if I can get Maui away from Tamatoa, could you force him away somehow? I don't know what else to do, but I'll try."

The wave remained as it was before it nodded and sank into the ocean. Off in the distance, there was a strange sound and Moana looked out to see that the ocean was opening up as a flash of lightning lit up the area. Before she knew it, she felt her boat sink into the water and found herself getting pulled down a watery tunnel. She held onto the boat as the water rushed up all around her and the sky got farther and farther away.

* * *

Meanwhile, a certain shapeshifter had been forced to let go of his opponent when the ocean began to twist and turn around him. He let out a cry of frustration as he got swept up in the currents and was forced to hold onto the nearest rock formation he could find before he found himself exposed to the open air.

"What the–?" he looked up to see that the waters had parted open to create some sort of large open area at the bottom of the ocean. All around him, Maui could see sand, but also lots of rock formations–some of which were large enough to be like small mountains–gaps in the ground, and he could see a coral reef near one of the larger rock formations. The pale sand was light enough to give the area a slight glow from what little light could reach down here and a flash of lighting turned it into a faint shade of grayish white.

 _What the heck is it thinking?!_ Maui thought as he looked up to see the cloudy sky above him. He had more visibility now, but it wasn't reassuring him. He had more creatures that he could shape shift into out of the water, but this also would also give Tamatoa a huge advantage and Maui would have little chance to recover before he could even get a chance to beat his opponent. Also the tentacle that Tamatoa squeezed down on really hard was throbbing with pain.

Speaking of which, where was the overgrown crustacean?

Maui felt a claw clamp down on one of the tentacles for a second time and he let out a yell as he felt Tamatoa drag him towards him. "Think you can still keep it up?!" Tamatoa demanded as he pulled Maui closer to him by using his other claw, which squeezed at the tentacle as hard as he could. "Because I don't think I'm the one whose struggling here!" He pulled as hard as he could to the point that it felt as if he would rip the limb off.

Despite the pain, Maui glared at the glowing crab and he shifted forms again.

* * *

When Moana saw that she had been taken to the bottom of the ocean, she felt a little concerned. It was slightly dark down here with little light from above, but she could still see her surroundings.

"I guess there's no turning back." Moana murmured to herself. She was a little terrified of facing Tamatoa in a place where he would most likely be comfortable with compared to someone like her, but she had to force that aside as she made to get off the boat. Just as her feet landed in the wet sand, she saw her oar.

She didn't have much experience with fighting, but there was one makeshift weapon she was good at using and it wouldn't hurt to take it alongside her. She grabbed it and carefully stuck the narrow end in her top which kept it securely against her back.

"I guess I might need it after all." She said as another tunnel formed and lead her to whatever it was that the ocean had created. She proceeded to walk forward and prepare herself to think and act as fast as she could. Especially since she already learned quite a bit about Tamatoa in her last encounter with him.

Last night he had lured her with his voice, choked her, and almost destroyed her personality and she really hoped that something similar would never happen again.

 _I am_ so _not complimenting him if he tries singing again._ Moana scowled.

As she walked through the tunnel, she kept note of her surroundings. She could feel the sand and rocks under her feet and she could see plant life in the water, but then she came to a certain formation that was sticking out of the water that made her stop.

"I've seen that coral before." Moana took a closer look. It was grayish white, sharp looking, and it reminded her of the warning the fisherman gave to his children awhile back. "Some are sharp that you wouldn't feel it and some have barbs... and pray you don't get pushed into it." She shuddered. She forgot that there were more dangers to take into account down here and she remembered her last experience with coral. Maybe Tamatoa would not be affected by it, but she didn't know if Maui would be able to withstand getting a serious injury from the coral if he was brought to that point.

As a quick test, she pulled her skirt up as far as she could to the level of the nearest coral, and slammed the center of it it through. To her shock, the coral pierced right through the fabric and when she pulled the skirt towards her, it ripped right through to create a slit that would allow her more movement.

On one hand she needed to be able to move around easier, but on the other hand she had to be really careful of her surroundings. _Plus I'm not as durable as a shapeshifting demi-god._ She cringed before continuing on her way; her own body would probably wear out a lot faster than his own.

She heard fighting at the other end of the tunnel and she rushed forward to find an area similar to the underwater spot from the other day, but _much_ larger. She could also once again see two giant crabs fighting each other–their bioluminescence filling the surrounding area with light, though the small light from above and the brief flash of lightning added to it. In the brief flash of light, she was given a better idea of her surroundings, as well as seeing the creatures as they normally were, before the dark came back. She could see that both were equally matched, but Maui was the one who seemed to be struggling more than Tamatoa.

 _He's pushed himself so much since he first took me out of the village._ Moana realized. _But..._ She tried to think about what to do as she hurried to the nearest rock formation and crouched behind it. _I can't let Tamatoa see me right now, but I can't distract Maui at the same time. There has to be a way to let him know I'm here without making things much worse for him._ She glanced around the formation to watch the two push against each other.

Tamatoa shoved Maui towards the water, but when Maui saw this, he quickly changed into a shark that darted into the water and when he got far enough, he shot out and transformed into a hawk again before circling around Tamatoa and forcing him to turn around after him and try to smack him out of the air. Moana quickly darted across to another spot where she could hide and carefully watched the fight as well as take in her surroundings a bit more. She saw that she could climb up the formations if she needed to as well as run through a few holes, and she took note of the reef of coral, but she also saw that there were rock formations buried deep in the ground and some of them formed huge gaps to hide in.

Or possibly to trick something into getting stuck into.

She heard a flash and she looked up to see that Maui now transformed into an octopus and he used the form to quickly get around Tamatoa before wrapping two of his tentacles around his neck while the rest were used to try to hold onto anything he could grab. The octopus strained as it tried to keep the crab in a chokehold, but the other creature was struggling to get free, forcing him to try to wrap another tentacle around him. Moana was then granted a not so pleasant sight of a tentacle that had been pinched so hard that it suffered deep cuts and there was still traces of blood upon it.

 _How often does that happen to him?!_ Moana realized that maybe the tales were not as clean as she had imagined. How many injuries did Maui have to endure when he helped out the mortals? It was a nasty reminder of the reality of the world that she still knew so little of.

She hurried away from her spot as fast as she could to move onto another location.

As for Maui, he was desperately trying to choke Tamatoa enough to make him pass out. It would make his job much easier, but it was straining him. _It can't take too long!_ He thought to himself as he felt Tamatoa try to kick at him, but he still tried to keep a hold on the formations. _His neck isn't that thick!_

Unfortunately for Maui, Tamatoa realized which tentacles were holding onto him and when he saw the injured one, he reached out and squeezed the area above the damaged spot. Maui let out a yell and unintentionally let go of Tamatoa, who bashed the side of his claw against one of his eyes.

"Nice try, mon ami!" Tamatoa yelled a taunt at Maui as he recoiled away somewhat. The demi-god panted for air and tried to think of another form to shift into but this time Tamatoa anticipated it. The moment there was a flash of blue, Tamatoa grabbed the shifting figure and, while he shifted into a smaller form, he slammed it against the ground as hard as he could.

He didn't stop there as he repeatedly slammed Maui into the ground. Because of this, Maui lost his concentration on what form to use and each slam into the ground forced him into a different form and each one didn't last long enough to grant him a chance to escape.

Tamatoa slammed Maui against the ground one last time, forcing him into the form of a shark before tossing him as hard as he could into a rock formation. The impact caused him to bounce off the rock formation and shift forms again but he fell into one of the large gaps in the ground before Moana could see what it was that he turned into.

When Moana saw that Tamatoa turned around to take a moment to catch his breath and recover, she hurried as fast as she could to the gap. She glanced at the crab a couple of times as she made her way until finally she could quickly drop down into the gap.

It was slightly darker in the gap–not to mention wet and still a little watery– but it went father underground to the point that Tamatoa would not notice her if he didn't try to aim an eyestalk down here. Not that it would be possible since the opening was too narrow to allow that. Instead Moana looked down to see Maui and was greeted with a rather... _interesting_ sight when a well timed flash of lightning showed him to her.

Apparently the impact caused Maui to get stuck in some sort of form where he was a shark with markings from the waist down, but the rest of him was still human in appearance. It was also shown that when he hit the rock formation and the sides of the gap, it did more than scrape against his skin as some of the ones on his lower side almost looked like small bits of flesh had been torn off.

Moana winced at the sight for a moment. She didn't want to think about what could have happened if Maui had been forced into a form that combined all his transformations or if his neck had been snapped, but she quickly shook this off and hurried over to see that his eyes were shut as if he were asleep.

"Maui!" Moana quietly hissed as she knelt beside him. "Its me, you got to get up!"

He didn't respond.

"Wake up!" Moana hissed again as she tried smacking him across the face, but he still didn't budge. She quickly looked up at the gap and then went around him. She shot one arm under his own and the other latched around his neck and she tried to lift him up with some difficulty. She then tried to walk backwards and pull him away from the gap, but it was even more difficult since it was hard to hold onto him, not to mention that he felt extremely heavy. She barely made an inch with him as she thought _What the heck, I thought I knocked this guy off the boat!_

She gave up as she carefully set him down and went over to his side. "Maui I need to get you out of here, but I can't if you don't wake up!" She hissed as she desperately shook his shoulders. If he hadn't fallen into the gap, then the ocean could have helped her out with this. "Please!" She begged.

She then saw something move in the corner of her eye and she glanced down to see that the tattoo of Maui on the left side of his chest had came to life and was trying to smack the larger version in the chest as hard as he could. "Uh..." Moana was now used to the... _unusual_... but _this_ was something new that she was not expecting. The tattoo suddenly became aware that he had been found out and he turned to face Moana and stared at her in equal shock before giving her a sheepish wave.

"Hi?" Moana waved back, which made the tattoo joyfully smile at her as if he were thrilled to finally meet her. He even leapt up and waved with much more enthusiasm, which made Moana chuckle and finally smile a little.

Meanwhile Tamatoa was trying to recover from Maui's chokehold and from when he attacked him. "I need to keep that in mind the next time that ever happens again." Tamatoa sighed before glancing around to see that Maui was missing. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to scan the area. "Maui?" He asked as cautiously as possible. There was no telling where he went or what form he would take.

Moana glanced up in alarm when she heard Tamatoa.

"Maui please!" Moana hissed as she tried to smack Maui across the face again, but he still would not wake up. "We need to get out of here!" Even the tattoo did not give up in trying to wake his host up by pounding his fists into Maui's chest, but it was hopeless. "He'll find us any second." She said to herself as she got an idea. She hurried to the shark half of Maui's body and grabbed onto the tail.

 _Ugh this is so weird, but I have to do this!_ Moana cringed as she pulled the tail as hard as she could and was able to have better success moving it in a clockwise direction so that she and Maui switched sides.

"Maui?!" She heard the sound of Tamatoa's legs coming towards them. She gasped and then began to pull as hard as she could away from the opening of the gap. "Give me strength." She quietly grunted as she pulled with all her might and gradually pulled Maui away. Even Mini Maui hurried to one of the tattoos on Maui's wrists and pushed against it to see if it would help Moana and he also tried to head to the large tattoo on Maui's stomach and slammed into it as hard as he could.

Just as Moana heard Tamatoa come closer, she pulled as hard as she could until Maui was completely out of sight. Just as she saw the illumination of Tamatoa's bioluminescence appear from above, she collapsed onto Maui and held onto him as tightly as possible.

 _Don't find us, don't find us, don't find us._ Moana's heart was pounding as she shut her eyes, rested her head against Maui's chest to the point the top of her head was pressed up against his chin, and squeezed his shoulders. She did not want a repeat of what happened last night and she was terrified for what Tamatoa would do the moment he saw them.

A large eye glanced into the gap and looked around, but it was too large to force itself any farther to see the teenage girl holding onto the demi-god for dear life. Moana could feel Tamatoa's presence and she was relieved that her instincts in coming here had paid off, but both her and Maui were still in great danger. She forced herself to breathe through her nose as she was too terrified to let out a sound if she used her mouth.

"Where are you?" Tamatoa practically sang, which made Moana even more afraid. "I know you're still here. It's not like you to run away."

 _Please go away._ Moana pleaded as she dared to open an eye and tilt her head to check on Tamatoa. _Go away._ She really wished Maui was awake as her grip on him tightened up. She almost had that sense of hugging a mountain like when she was younger, but this mountain was unable to hug her back in his current condition.

After what seemed like an eternity, Tamatoa drew back and his glow faded away as he went to look for another spot to find Maui.

Moana finally let out a sigh as she opened both eyes, but she still held onto Maui. A small part of her was still scared and desperately sought for some sort of comfort while the other, stronger part of her was trying to think but could not come up with anything.

"I don't know what to do." Moana's voice grew quiet as she squeezed Maui's shoulders again. "I'm not you–I can't transform and I don't have your strength. What could I do to help?" She shut her eyes and tried to think. They were both trapped and there was no telling when the ocean would come back to retake this area or if Tamatoa would find them.

" _Where are you?!"_ She heard Tamatoa yell as the lightning in the sky flashed again. "If you don't show yourself, I'll go back for that human!"

There was one thing she could try, but it came with a huge risk and she would have to cast her fear aside.

"If I try to get out there, I could be able to get the ocean to help." Moana whispered as she opened her eyes. "But he'll see me and I don't know what he will do." She had to take the risk. She already went this far and she already had a few ideas to use if necessary.

But just to be on the safe side...

Moana sat up as she tore the flower and leaf bands off her wrists (both were already pretty damaged) and carefully set one on Maui before placing the other in his hand. "Just in case." She said, but in case of what though? If she had been kidnapped or to let him know she was here? Mini Maui watched this and he tried to hit Maui as hard as he could. He did not want the human to go out there and she was going to be in trouble. Moana was not aware of this and she turned to Maui one last time as she heard Tamatoa yell "Maui I swear you better come out!"

Moana closed her eyes, bowed her head and pressed her forehead and her nose against Maui's, where it stayed there for a moment. She didn't recall ever giving him a hongi and while it was far too late for that, she might as well. For all she knew, this could be the last time she would see Maui again and she wanted this moment for as long as she could. She took a deep breath as she carefully placed a hand on the side of his head and felt his wild hair under her fingers as she exhaled for a few seconds before she finally got up with renewed determination. "I'll be careful." She promised as she went to climb up the gap.

Mini Maui watched in horror as Moana crawled up the gap and he turned back to do anything he could to wake up Maui. There was nothing else he could do at this point but he would not give up until Maui would finally wake up.

When Moana got out, she saw that Tamatoa was still looking around the area. She turned to see the nearest place she could walk towards the water and headed towards it. She didn't get very far when Tamatoa finally noticed her and when she heard him exclaim a confused "Wait a minute, what?!" She turned around in alarm to see him staring at her with eyes so wide they looked like they would pop off his eyestalks. "How do you–?!" He stumbled with his words.

Just a few more steps and she could make it to the ocean. She turned around, only to see that there was a huge gap she failed to notice and she would not be able to reach the wall of water. She would barely make the leap across the distance and the ground below was so far down that she would likely break her leg or worse.

She turned around in panic as Tamatoa narrowed his eyes at her as another flash of lightning gave him a proper look at her. _What do I do, what do I do?!_

Then he let out a snort and laughed.

"Wait, let me guess–you turned into the human and you were going to trick me into taking you. Then once you had your chance, you would attack me, right?"

"Uh..." Moana raised an eyebrow at Tamatoa as her panic turned into confusion. _Does he think I'm Maui?_

"Nice try, but I can't buy that she would come all the way out here." Tamatoa chuckled as he spoke to who he _thought_ was Maui. "You really think that after all that's happened, she would have come to help you or give herself up? A mere human whose life you nearly ruined?"

Moana fought the urge to yell at Tamatoa. If she said anything–even one word–then Tamatoa would quickly realize who she was, because Maui's voice always remained the same in all his forms, so instead she took a few steps forward while eyeing her surroundings one last time.

"So let me ask you some old questions." Tamatoa began. "You've aided these humans for so long. You are so desperate to get the love your parents didn't grant you–all they did was toss you into the ocean like you were nothing. The gods knew you would be better than all of them, and that's why they gave you your power and made you near immortal, right?"

 _Wait, that was the hidden tattoo that got the most damage._ Moana realized as her eyes widened at the image Tamatoa was reminding her of. _And was that what he meant by being human once?_

"So you've done all these things for the mortals, but what have they actually given you in return?" Tamatoa demanded. "You keep helping them and yet its not enough, so what are you really hoping for? Either you're a story or you are the one who makes life easier for them. As much as you wish for it, they don't really love you. In fact how can you be sure that they aren't using you?"

Moana remembered the tapa from her dream where Tamatoa was shown saying something that caused Maui distress. Was this where she thought this was going?

"You are just wasting your time on them." Tamatoa continued. "And of course, this was _the part were you lashed out and ripped my leg off if I remember correctly_." Tamatoa hissed at Moana as another flash of lightning erupted above them. "And that human you are trying so hard to save? She's just like the others and she's going to die of old age like all those precious mortal children before her. _She's not worth protecting or sacrificing your powers over_." He glared at Moana. _"So why bother fighting to the death with me?"_

Something stirred in Moana as she found herself glaring back at Tamatoa. Now she fully understood everything and she found her courage as she recalled her grandmother's advice one last time.

She knew what she had to do.

Moana ran towards Tamatoa, who charged after her. She already knew how he fought, but he didn't know what _she_ could do. Tamatoa made to swing a claw when Moana got close enough, but she stopped and when the claw passed she made to run under him.

"Oh no you don't!" Tamatoa yelled as he made to quickly turn around, but Moana looked to watch how far he would turn before quickly running off to the side and avoided his legs.

When Tamatoa saw that Moana wasn't popping up, he turned to see what she had done. He growled and ran after Moana and almost tripped over himself in the process while Moana quickly saw a gap large enough to trap one of his legs. She ran towards it and when Tamatoa got close enough, she quickly ran back, dropped into it, and hurried away before Tamatoa tried to move back to grab her but instead he felt one of his right legs get stuck inside the gap.

Tamatoa let out a frustrated yell as he made to pull the leg out, but it was too jammed down in the gap to make it that easy for him. At that time, Moana crawled out and leapt onto the leg before crawling up it. "No, no, no! Don't you dare!" Tamatoa tried shaking the leg, but Moana held on and continued on her way. He tried to reach his claw at her, but it was too far away.

Finally Moana got onto Tamatoa's shell where he still had much of his treasures. She grabbed one and threw it at his head as hard as she could, where it made perfect impact. "OW!" Tamatoa yelled as he turned to see Moana throw another treasure that hit him in between the eyes.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He roared as he saw that Moana was using his treasure against him. "THAT'S MY STUFF!" He tried to yank free and grab Moana, but since he was trapped, he almost twisted his leg and ended up collapsing to the ground with another yell. Moana couldn't help but grin before eyeing the antennae. _If I can hang on and he doesn't twitch them too much_ –

She ran ahead, got off the shell and climbed up Tamatoa's head, before grabbing the antennae, while Tamatoa struggled to get up.

The moment he felt that Moana grabbed one of his antennae, Tamatoa twitched it as he yelled "OH NO, NOT THAT AGAIN!" But Moana wrapped her arms and she legs on the antennae as tightly as she could, even as she felt herself getting tossed around in the air. "LET GO OF ME, MAUI!" Tamatoa yelled as she grabbed her oar and pulled it out, while waiting for the right moment. He wanted to grab his opponent but he didn't want to accidentally pinch something off that belonged to him, like one of his eyes.

The moment Moana saw the white of Tamatoa's nearest eye, she took the oar and smacked the flat side into it as hard as she could and then quickly held onto the antennae as it arched up while Tamatoa yelled out in pain. He blinked the eye like crazy while Moana carefully maneuvered herself and leapt back onto the shell.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Tamatoa yelled as he tried to use his good eye to spot Moana, who saw that he was going to reach for her, so she quickly crawled back down off of him and tried to run to the ocean to call for help.

At this point, Tamatoa finally freed himself from the gap and he yelled as he charged towards Moana. She let out a gasp and hurried up onto a rock formation.

Tamatoa ran after Moana as she made her way up onto it, but she quickly moved so that she was on the other side of it and hurried across before Tamatoa could reach over to grab her. "GET OVER HERE!" Tamatoa yelled before he tried to crawl over the rock formation, but the moment he felt it wobble from his weight, he was forced to let go.

Moana ran down and grabbed the nearest rock she could find before looking up to see Tamatoa try to crawl up a more sturdier part of the formation. He peered an eyestalk down at her and she threw the rock at his eye, but he quickly backed away before impact was made.

 _What is he doing?!_ Tamatoa growled. _Why isn't he changing shapes?_ He looked around before seeing 'Maui' race over around the rock formation and try to get to the ocean. He grabbed a large rock and yelled "Quit running away!"

Moana lucked out in looking back and immediately leapt to the side before the rock could hit her. Her heart was pounding and she knew that she needed to be fast. She had to stop Tamatoa but–she looked up to see another rock formation, but there was a large hole or two that she could leap through and maybe... She grinned and began to crawl up it as fast as she could. At the same time, she took a small treasure that she took off Tamatoa from inside her top and gave the crab a quick look. The moment she had her chance, she tossed it into the air and used her oar to slam it away as far as she could and, as she guessed, Tamatoa's eyes widened before he chased after the stolen trinket. She then quickly hurried up the rock formation while she still had time.

Around this time, Maui finally came to his senses and woke up. He felt a strong pain from where he had been bashed against the ground (which was pretty much _everywhere_ ), as well as a few stinging sensations here and there, though he also acknowledged that a certain tattoo was whacking him over and over in the chest.

"Ungh, what?" He struggled to push himself up when he realized he was holding something in his hand. He took a look and saw a band of crushed green leaves and white flowers woven together in his hand and as he struggled to recall where he saw it before, he saw that there was another one resting on his body.

Then it hit him–this was part of the attire Moana had worn the last time he saw her.

"GET BACK HERE!" He heard Tamatoa yell somewhere above him.

If Tamatoa hadn't gone to take Moana then–"Please tell me you didn't come back!" Maui groaned as he struggled to stand back up until he realized something was off and looked down to see why his legs weren't woking like they should have been working and saw a shark tail instead.

He let out an annoyed groan and collapsed to the ground before he could shift into his real form. Well it _could_ have been a lot worse than this awkward (and very, incredibly embarrassing) state and he almost hoped no one saw him like this, but given that Moana had obviously found him, he realized that was not going to be the case.

Moana hurried on the rock formation as Tamatoa went after her and she was forced to crawl around the other side before dropping down to avoid getting pinched to death by the crab's claws. She hurried as he tried to reach down to get her instead of crawling over the formation and she hurried towards one of the holes. "Where'd you go?!" Tamatoa frantically looked over the backside of the formation and then moved back to look at the front side. Then he saw Moana standing in one of the holes.

 _He'll either reach in to grab me or reach over to grab me._ Moana had to take this gamble and she waited as Tamatoa grinned at her.

The moment Tamatoa reached down and was about ready to close his claws around his opponent, Moana quickly ducked and ran back into the hole as far as she could while the claw went after her in response. Of course the hole was a _bit_ smaller than the claw, which jammed too far in and it got to the point where once again Tamatoa found himself stuck while Moana hurried out to safety.

Tamatoa yelled in frustration as Moana crawled back up the formation and once she got to the top, she found that he was trying desperately to pull himself free.

"HOW DO YOU STILL HAVE SO MUCH ENERGY?!" Tamatoa yelled at her.

It was at this point that Maui finally got out of the gap he had been stuck in with some help from his hook, though the effort gave him some discomfort in the spot where it still hurt the most. "Quit hitting me." Maui groaned at the tattoo of himself who was desperately trying to get his attention so that he could show what Moana was planning to do.

After pushing himself forward, Maui looked up to see Tamatoa struggling to get free from the hole that his claw had been stuck in while he was glaring at Moana, who held her oar out for protection. "I THOUGHT I BEAT YOU HALF TO DEATH! AND THEN YOU'RE GOING AROUND AND SMACKING THAT OAR IN MY EYE AND THROWING MY STUFF AT ME!"

It took Maui a second to realize what Tamatoa meant. _Does he think she's me?!_ Maui didn't know whether to laugh and give Moana some praise for somehow besting the crab or panic because Moana had come to try to help him and was putting herself in serious danger.

"HEY DON'T YOU GRIN AT ME!" Tamatoa snapped as Moana grinned and rested her oar over her shoulders. Not only had she managed to fight him, but she was also able to get some well deserved revenge. The fact that he still thought she was Maui was also pretty funny.

She still needed to reach the ocean, but she still needed to get Maui out of here. She looked to see that one of the rock formations directly lead to the ocean and just happened to be half submerged in the water. If she was really quick she could reach it in time. She gave Tamatoa one last look as well a mock wave of farewell before hurrying towards the other formation. She almost wished Maui had seen her fight Tamatoa, but she had other matters to attend to so maybe it would make a good story for later.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE–!" It was at this moment Tamatoa realized something. His opponent had not only not transformed once, but they never said a word during this phase of their fighting. Even that smug grin on their face wasn't the one he was familiar with. He then got a strong sense that the fighter also did not fight in the way he was used to seeing.

Wait a minute... what if the little human _was_ actually stupid enough to follow them?

"So you still can't bring yourself to finish me off, mon princesse?" He asked as a test.

Moana almost stumbled in her run and tensed up. _How did he realize it was me?!_ She looked back in panic and saw a triumphant grin on the crab's face at the exact moment there was another flash of lightning.

Maui's hand hovered over his hook in anticipation for whatever would happen next and he ignored the furious pounding of Mini Maui's fists.

"So you did try to come help him!" Tamatoa laughed. "Wow, you are really stupid, you know that?! You really should have just killed me the moment you had your chance!"

Moana took a breath and glared at Tamatoa. "Well you're stupid because there's no telling if the gods will punish you or not for all you've done!" There, she gave him the warning. "And I am _not_ going to be turned into something I don't want to be! Especially by you!" Her grip on her oar tightened. "You keep hurting people with your words and tearing at our insecurities, but its just your way to hide your own, isn't it?!"

Tamatoa narrowed his eyes at the human as she continued. "Plus, that spell or whatever it was you did to make Maui human... that wasn't really going to be permanent, was it?!" She demanded. The idea of it just sounded like a really cruel prank that the crab would not be able to resist.

Tamatoa let out a dark chuckle. "Do you _really_ want to know that answer? I don't think you'll like it. It won't do you any good though since I'm still getting what I want out of all this."

"Even if you take me, it won't work!" Moana yelled. "Sooner or later, this will all come back to haunt you!"

Tamatoa just shook his head. "Well too bad babe, because no one is going to help you this time!" He then slammed his other claw onto the rock formation as hard as he could and Moana watched in dismay as it cracked with each hit. She decided not to take her chances and made a run for it before the giant crab was finally able to get his claw free.

At the same time, Maui grabbed his hook and ignored the desperate call for attention from the tattoo on his chest.

Moana ran and leapt across gaps and rocks to get to the formation she needed to get reach, but she was unaware of the flash of light down below her. She heard Tamatoa coming for her as fast as he could but then she heard him yelp in shock, followed by another yell that sounded familiar to her.

She turned around to see that Maui had woken up and had taken on the octopus form once more, which he used to grab onto Tamatoa and pull him away from Moana.

"YOU'RE NOT TAKING HER!" Maui yelled as he latched a few tentacles around Tamatoa's legs. Even as Tamatoa desperately waved a claw in the air, Maui latched another tentacle around it. He was being driven to the point of exhaustion, but he could not let Tamatoa get Moana. "GET OUT OF HERE!" He yelled at Moana. "GO!"

"IT WON'T CHANGE THE DEAL YOU MADE WITH ME! YOU'RE STILL GOING TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID!" Tamatoa yelled at Maui as Moana was torn between staying and leaving. If she yelled at Maui about what she intended to do, there was no telling how Tamatoa would react and she still had some distance to cover before she could reach ocean. Still, she could make it to the ocean and ask for help, so she continued on her way. Once she would have to leap across this formation to get to it, she would still have to climb up, unless she felt like yelling out to the ocean.

At the same time, Maui realized that Tamatoa was still dead set on taking Moana no matter what. He was at the point where he would not be able to win against him since his body still wasn't in good condition and Tamatoa would eventually get the upper hand. Normally this shouldn't have been a problem but Maui had pushed himself too far almost non stop for a good portion of the evening. Tamatoa already beat him up quite a lot and even if Moana did a number on the crab, somehow he was still fighting back. And if by some miracle he won, then how could he be sure that Tamatoa wouldn't try to go after Moana again?

He realized there was possibly only one way to guarantee that Moana would be left alone, which meant he finally had to make the biggest sacrifice imaginable.

"THEN TAKE MY LIFE INSTEAD!" Maui yelled.

Moana was almost near the rock formation and was about to leap across to get to it when she heard those words and felt her heart stop. She turned around in shock as even Tamatoa had to pause to take in what Maui just said.

"She has nothing to do with us." Maui panted as he kept his hold. "And I know you want me dead, so just go ahead and kill me." He shut his eyes in acceptance. He knew he would give his life for Moana and now it was at that point. Besides, wasn't this how he was supposed to die according to most mortals? To try to grant them the gift of a longer lifespan? "That's a fair trade off right?" He asked.

"No..." Moana shook her head as she realized what was happening and refused to believe it. "No don't do it. Please don't do it."

Tamatoa remained silent for a few seconds before he let out a low laugh. "You _really_ want to make that exchange, Maui?!"

"You'd get the honor of killing me, which would be a lot more valuable then a human prisoner, right?!" Maui yelled as he knew that he had to appeal to Tamatoa's vanity one last time. "So just do it!" He yelled as he let go of Tamatoa and moved away from him.

"No, no, no, no." Moana shook her head. She didn't want him to give his life for her. She didn't want his story to end like this and all because of her. She didn't want him to die.

Maui shifted back into his true self and looked at his hook for a moment before tossing it to the side as far as his injuries could allow him to before looking into the eyes of his old friend to show that he was serious about his choice. _Sorry Moana._ He thought as he threw his arms out in surrender. _But I promise this will all be over for you._

There was a strange peacefulness in knowing what was about to come and he could not think of anything to regret about in making this choice. Well, other than that he wished that it didn't have to come to this, but he already knew he would have to do this if that was what it would take. As long as he could save Moana, then that was all that mattered now.

Tamatoa could not believe what was happening and yet he knew that he was going to enjoy it if Maui was this serious. "Well alright then mon ami, but don't expect you'll go down that easily." He glanced to where the coral reef was. "Especially since I want to savor this moment for as long as I can." He grinned at it.

Moana took note of Tamatoa's reaction to the coral and realized what was going to happen. "NO!" She yelled and ran down the rock formation as fast as she could. She leapt down wherever she could manage and even when she tumbled onto the rocks below and felt them scrape against her, she still forced herself to get back up and run as fast as she could. By that point, Tamatoa had slammed a claw into Maui's shoulder as hard as he could and knocked the demi-god to the ground.

Moana watched as Maui struggled to get back up and Tamatoa arched his claw as far up as he could. It was very clear that he was going to swing it into Maui and send him into the coral where he would get seriously injured. She didn't know what would happen to Maui if he got thrown into it, but she didn't want to take her chances. _No, please I can't let him die!_

She didn't know if she was going to make it in time and she realized that even if she did, she would probably get hit instead. She didn't care though and she forced herself to try to run faster then she ever ran before.

As Tamatoa's claw began to go down and Moana was getting closer to Maui, she recalled how she sent him off the boat and into the water but this time she intended to hit him right in the center of his back. She tossed her oar aside, readied herself, and right before Tamatoa's claw reached Maui, she slammed against the demi-god as hard as she could and sent him falling right towards the ground with little resistance.

Barely a second later, Moana felt something hard slam right into her side and her rib cage to the point it felt like the air had been knocked out of her and her ribs were going to shatter.

In what felt either like an eternity or a too short amount of time, Moana was sent flying towards the wall of the rock formation above the coral reef without a chance to even scream or catch a breath of air. She felt the jagged rocks tear at her outfit and her flesh and she lost another chance to take another breath when she finally slammed against the wall. It was enough to feel like her insides were getting smashed in, along with the outer part that hit against the rock wall.

She didn't register herself falling towards the coral, nor the pillar of water trying to rush towards her as fast as it could to try to push her out of the way. Unfortunately it was not enough as it managed to only slightly push her away from the heart of the coral reef and Moana passed through before she could be completely engulfed by the water.

She did not register the sensation of something piercing deep through the right side of her body, as well as other somethings slice through part of her arm and her leg for the second time in a row, nor the erupting pain that ensued until it was seconds too late.

It hurt so much that she wanted to scream but it was hard to catch her breath and even doing so and trying to expand her body for air made it a lot more painful than it already was. In fact it was almost as if she was going to choke on her own scream.

Elsewhere, it was taking Maui moments to process why he had been knocked down by a force a lot weaker than the crab. A sickening dread came over Maui and he turned his head to see–with help from another flash of lightning–that Moana was laying on part of the coral reef as well as looking like she was in an immense amount of pain by the way her body was tensed up and how much it looked like she was trying to either catch her breath or scream. It was like something out of a nightmare and he almost thought that was the case until reality caught up to him.

Moana knocked him away and took the blow instead.

That should have been him trapped in the coral– _not her._

 _And it was all because of both him and the crab._

Something in his mind snapped and his wide eyed horror changed as his body tensed up and he gritted and barred his teeth while his eyes narrowed in rage. In that moment, he forgot what was going on and lost his senses as he forced himself to run to get his hook and just unleash _everything_ upon Tamatoa.

Tamatoa had wondered why the thing he hit didn't feel like Maui and then he realized what the little human had done when he saw her in the coral. Although he was stunned that the human willingly attempted to sacrifice herself for Maui he also realized with a sickening dread what was about to happen.

Maui let out a furious yell as he shifted into a large crab again and slammed into Tamatoa as hard as he could. He didn't even give the other one a chance to fight back as he also slammed a claw into his face as hard as he could before forcing him up and slamming him into the nearest rock formation.

Maui didn't have a proper thought in his head anymore as he tried throwing Tamatoa's underside into another one of the rock formations as hard as he could and with all his strength. The pain in his body was screaming out in protest, but the adrenaline inside him gave him the rush he needed to force it back. All he wanted was to flat out destroy Tamatoa in a horrible manner and make him pay for all he had done. He was more than angry for all that had happened and for it all to end up with Moana getting badly injured was too much for him to accept. He didn't care if he couldn't lay a scratch on Tamatoa, Maui was going to make the crab regret ever consider messing with Moana one way or another. All that he had done to her was now going to come back to haunt him in full force.

And judging by the particular sound of Tamatoa's yell of pain, finally Maui succeeded in piercing through part of his underside.

Moana struggled to take a breath as she looked up to see Maui out of control as he bashed Tamatoa against the rock formation and smacked him several times over without stopping before slamming his legs into his underside as hard as he could. It reminded her of when Maui hit her father but that had only been a taste of how furious he could really become. This was something _entirely_ different and was almost terrifying.

It never occurred to her what would happen if something were to happen to her or how Maui would react, given what he was capable of.

She began to be afraid of what could happen to Maui if this was to continue because it was clear that Maui wanted his ex-friend dead and she didn't know what would happen if he succeeded. Did she only make the situation a lot worse?

She knew how the death of someone could affect a person–especially if they blamed it on themselves–and she did not want Maui to end up like her father. She didn't know if she would survive this or not, but she still had one last chance to save Maui from a similar path or something _far_ worse.

Moana grabbed onto the coral that she had been impaled upon and she could feel that it suffered from the impact because it was wiggled somewhat, but it only made the pain inside her worse and she finally cried out. She tried punching at it, but that only caused her to suffer a cut to the hand and sent a pain in her injured side as well as her arm, which was already bleeding out a bit. If she pulled herself out of the coral, she would risk bleeding to death and there was no telling how far the coral went inside her.

Finally she took a breath and forced herself to push against the coral as hard as she could and held on as tightly as possible, no matter how much it hurt to the point that she felt herself on the verge of tears. She felt the coral wobble and she gritted her teeth down and then tried one last time to punch the coral as hard as she could. Miraculously, the coral finally gave way and snapped, freeing Moana who managed to catch her footing before she could fall into another part of the coral reef, but now there was a strong pain in her side and it was taking her all to just stand.

She tried to avoid looking down as she carefully held onto her side. Already it was bleeding a little, but the damage inside was another matter. Instead of thinking about it, she forced herself to get out of the coral reef and fought the urge to yell through the pain in her leg and when she felt one scrape against her arm. Instead she looked up to see Maui shifting forms and changed once again into an octopus, but this time he wrapped nearly all his appendages around Tamatoa's and smashed him headfirst into a rock formation before slamming him into the ground, causing him to scream out in agony.

Just as Moana finally managed to stumble away from the reef and left a small trail of blood droplets from her leg, she found herself staring in horror as the octopus used his free tentacle to wrap itself around one of Tamatoa's claws and began to pull at it, right as there was another flash of lightning that revealed just how bruised up and horribly cracked the crab's limbs and underside had became from Maui's wrath.

She suddenly realized what Maui was about to do. She recalled the dream of the tapa that showed him tearing off Tamatoa's leg and she struggled to take a deep breath as she pressed against the wound as hard as she could. All the while, Tamatoa seemed to be aware of what was going to happen and he was screaming in pain as he tried to escape Maui, but his opponent still held on with a determined glare full of a bloodlust that was too out of character of Moana to handle.

"STOP!" Moana finally forced herself to scream out with all her might and felt the pain inside her grow.

She watched as Maui's eyes widened at the sound of her voice and he stopped pulling at Tamatoa's claw while the crab still struggled to get out of his grasp. Moana struggled to take a breath as she walked closer to the fight.

"Don't–" She struggled to find her words through the pain. "Don't make me be the reason to–" She took another breath "–to do this! I don't want to be part of–" She took another breath and gritted her teeth before finishing "–this!"

She wanted to collapse but she could not as she stared at those dark brown eyes. "You said it–" She gulped. "–Yourself, right?!" She took another breath.

"You–" She then turned to Tamatoa. "You didn't say what would happen if I–" She gasped "–were to die or get hurt, right?!" She let out a weak, yet defiant laugh. "So I guess you didn't win after all!" She held her hand up to reveal the blood upon it. Why did she find this so funny? She was in terrible condition and yet she was laughing in the face of everything that lead to this point. Maybe in some twisted way she denied Tamatoa's long desired revenge at last.

Maui could do nothing but watch as Moana's words went through his head.

He didn't want any of this to happen. He didn't mean for Moana to try to take his place.

Making Tamatoa suffer might have given him a lot of satisfaction (even him dying would have had the same effect)... but it would not fix everything. What he was about to do was the reason they were all in this mess to begin with and he didn't really want to have a repeat of it again; it wouldn't fix what just happened to Moana. And when he thought about it, he didn't want to be remembered this way; he didn't want Moana to see what would happen at his absolute worst and yet it was pretty much too late.

She didn't kill Tamatoa when she had the chance, nor did she make him suffer beyond tricking him and maybe beating him up a little. She was better than either of them combined.

With this realization, Maui finally let go of both Tamatoa and most of the anger within him.

"You better _hope_ I don't see you again for a long time." Maui calmly, yet coldly warned Tamatoa as the crab nervously looked at him while struggling to recover from the beat down. "And I don't want to see you anywhere near her or her island ever again, understand?"

Tamatoa hesitated for a moment as he stared Maui in the eye.

"I guess a human really did care about you." He finally answered before turning around and walked on shaky legs towards the other side of the area, away from Maui and Moana. Both watched as the crab eventually went through the water and into the darkness of the ocean. Maui didn't stop watching until the bioluminescence of Tamatoa was almost swallowed up by the darkness before he finally looked down at Moana, who also looked back at him.

Moana opened her mouth to say something, but her insides couldn't take it anymore and she collapsed to her knees and she winced as she tried to fight the urge to bend over the coral still logged inside her, as well as the affected area.

"MOANA!" She heard her name be yelled out in panicked concern as she used her good arm to keep herself from collapsing completely into the ground.

Maui shifted back into his real form and he was racing towards Moana with his hook in his tight grasp before kneeling beside her, even though his own body was still in pain from fighting and pushing himself too far.

"I didn't–" Moana panted as she tried to sit down as carefully as she could. "I didn't mean for that to happen, I just–" She couldn't finish her sentence when she saw the concerned look in Maui's eyes.

Maui let go of his weapon and reached down to carefully move Moana's hand away (and she winced in response) from her biggest injury and was greeted with a nasty sight; a grayish white piece of coral that looked sharp to the touch was jammed inside Moana's side near her ribcage–maybe even somewhere between the bones since the injury was somewhere between her top and skirt–while blood was trailing out around it and already seeping onto the belt and the grass part of her skirt.

"Don't take it out." Moana pleaded before looking at Maui again and grabbed onto his arm. "Please don't."

He couldn't and he definitely would not. If he did, Moana would probably die in an instant, but there was a high chance she would any way if the coral was lodged that far inside her and in that specific spot. If not now, then most likely from infection, which would be too far out of anyone's reach to clean out.

At that point his mind entered a panic as he had no idea what to do or how to fix this. And more importantly _why did she come here and felt the need to take the blow for him_?!

Moana then lurched forward and let out a cough before Maui could ask her and the action sent another pain in her side. The moment after she felt something wet and foul tasting escape out of her and land on the ground, she used the back of her arm to wipe her chin and mouth and moved it back to see a faint redness upon it as the clouds above parted to allow more light from the stars and from what little of the moon there was on that night.

That was _not_ a good sign. She could see that and so did Maui whose horror was only growing worse. The coral inside her had either moved around too much and hit something vital or else the blood of that vital area was finally coming out through her mouth.

"Hang on, I'm getting you out of here!" Maui carefully forced Moana to readjust her position before he grabbed his hook and transformed into a hawk. He then grabbed Moana just slightly above her torso before also grabbing her outstretched legs with his talons and took to the sky. Each flap of the wing was a strain on the injury to his shoulder, but he fought it off.

Moana cried out as each flap of the wings to get farther up sent a jolt in her body that made the pain worse, but she still tried to hold onto the talon around her upper body as tightly as she could. She didn't bother to look down as the ocean closed in on the area they had been in and she tried to just concentrate on holding on.

Maui heard her cries and regretted choosing this form, but he had no other option to take. None of the other forms could be fast enough or be able to carry her, and if he turned into a whale he would of had to place her in his mouth and there would have been a high risk of swallowing her up in his haste to get her out of here.

The waves upon the ocean were finally calming down, but they did nothing to reassure the demi-god as he hurried to get above the water. When he was high enough, he carried Moana over the ocean and towards her home where hopefully there was still a slight chance she could get treated in time.

Or so he tried to tell himself over and over again, no matter how much a part of him was saying that it just wasn't possible.

* * *

 **I can not say how many concepts, ideas, and rough drafts went through my head for this chapter before I got to it. One of those ideas involved Moana hanging onto her oar for dear life over the coral and taunting Tamatoa that he wouldn't win or go after her people if she died before letting go, but I opted for something a little more meaningful and fully within her control. Whatever would happen, the setting and outcomes was always going to be the same.**

 **I admit that I was a bit influenced by Shadow of the Colossus for Moana's fight and the setting was inspired by the final battle in the Disney version of the Little Mermaid (how could I not take advantage of that?!). And speaking of which... yeah, I had to use THAT visual gag from Moana since I was doing this particular AU.**

 **Though I'm sensing a pattern with my writings that I need to quit. There's already been** _ **way**_ **too much stabbing in my Zelda fan fics (I get carried away at times, though some of them were canon to begin with). Moana has gone through a lot more than she deserved (a lot of the characters in my fan fics do) and I do feel horrible about what I've done.**

 **I know what its like to get the wind knocked out of you when you slam against something too hard and it isn't pleasant because you are forced to try to ingest as much air as you can back into you, but I can only imagine how unbearable it would be if you got stabbed and you couldn't scream because you have so little air left inside you.**

 **I didn't really want to kill off Tamatoa, even from the very beginning. Especially since he didn't do anything in the original film to earn that fate and it would have gone against the themes that it was trying to support through Moana's character. Plus... I don't think most of his fans out there would have taken that well. *looks nervously at them and nervously waves***

 **Of course now we need to find out what happens next and what this will all lead to. After all... I never** _ **did**_ **say this would be entirely based on one version of the story.**


	14. Land and Sea

**I'm afraid to directly answer some of the reviews and risk spoiling what happens next, so I'll try to answer a few. I'm sorry if I don't respond to yours I just... I might need to let the chapter speak for itself.**

 **Guest:** Ah he's gone, sorry. And he also knows what he has done so... I don't know, keep reading?

 **jhalpernkitcat:** Now that is one way to be a great writer. Keep all readers in suspense with a cliff hanger every chapter (or at least that can only work for a little while).

Using the ocean as a deus-ex machina WOULD have been too easy, but there was still a high risk of drowning Moana. (Actually the cinema sins video for _Mad Max: Fury Road_ mentions its use of anti deus-ex machinas and maybe I was opting for some in that chapter. _Moana_ actually uses a few too, like in 'Shiny'.)

Tamatoa has enough sense to realize he screwed up and that he pushed Maui's berserk button a little too hard than he intended so he doesn't want a repeat of the past to happen again. Who knows what waits for the crab...

Yeah, I try to go for realism when I think I can use it and Moana got the full force of it (well Maui too). Maui isn't fully human, which explains how he didn't die in the film but... yeah welcome to the teen rated version of that song. Though I HAD to make Moana whack him in the eye–it was begging to be a weak spot *laughs*.

You might be onto something with that deja vu from chapter one... keep reading.

 **OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon:** Oh trust me, you don't want to know what Maui was planning to do. One limb torn off? That would have been the first step after the warm up. I also have to make do with what I know, since I don't know what it would be like to get smacked around by a giant crab... probably like getting hit by a large truck I suppose. And I love using description and details to heighten the visuals, so thanks. :)

 **Child of Dreams:** You know there is a video by the SuperCarlinBrothers (I think thats how it is spelled) on youtube with a video that claims Tamatoa a reincarnation of Ursula. Maybe he's Sebastian's cousin and Facilier's previous reincarnation.

 **Subuku no Jess:** Not the first time I used that gag XD. My real name DOES end with an 'a' though, like half the cast of the film (no seriously, they all end with 'i' or 'a'). I'm pretty sure Tamatoa would have liked that speech. It looks like there are a few that are glad I kept him alive and I wanted his exit to have some significance and being defeated (in many ways) by a mere human he used as a pawn is pretty ironic.

I loved making the Moana v. Tamatoa fight and letting her kick some sparkly butt. Also yes–that's what I did with Shark Merman over there :D.

Moana's words to Tamatoa screwing up the deal and her laugh came from one version I had in my head where she opted to allow herself to die/commit suicide by dropping into the coral reef as a way to stop him and save Maui and her people which was TOO much and I decided on something else. I wanted to go dark, but not TOO dark.

*Bows at the applause and accepts roses in a sparkly dress before giving some to the others*

 **Nausicaa of the Spirits:** I lucked out in seeing it twice with family and friends. I didn't cry but there were some things in the film (especially near the end) that were really sad. Also Gaston was SUCH a *CENSORED* creep. Funny yes, but a bit more unhinged than his 1991 counterpart. I liked both songs but I liked how Evermore was done (and Dan Stevens is a good singer... and also really handsome and charming to boot. Even if he's already taken).

 **Shiori Kudo:** Oh. Ok then. Oh and I'll pass that message to Tamatoa since he vanished.

 **DiWitch95:** I love AUs that use both story-lines, but not to the point that it feels like your reading a script version of what the AU is based on with only a few changes but basically the same exact dialogue. Its hard to explain, but I like it when both worlds can blend together to honor both their stories (one great example I can think of was a Corpse Bride AU fan fic for Phantom of the Opera), so I really appreciate your review. Thank you. :)

 **So... did anyone see that video on youtube by the SuperCarlinBrothers that says who Tamatoa is the animal reincarnation of? Give it a look and I guarantee you that it makes this fan fic even more amusing... oh wait.**

 **Yeah I left you guys on the worst of the cliffhangers thus far, didn't I?**

 **I'm saving my notes for later to avoid spoilers. You'll know why afterwards.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Land and Sea**

The storm that surrounded Motonui and trapped everyone on it finally came to an end. The nightmare seemed to be over when the clouds parted to reveal the stars and a small amount of the moon. Despite the destruction that had been caused upon the island, everything else seemed to be fine once more.

Tala observed the stars and noticed something she had not seen in quite awhile–a constellation in the shape of a fish hook that had been missing for quite sometime was almost right over Motonui. She smiled at the sight until she heard the sound of a bird crying out in distress and looked down to see a large hawk like creature approaching one of the many shorelines. She took that as her cue to try to find Tui and Sina as she had a strong feeling that Moana had returned back to the island.

* * *

When Maui let out the cry, it was because his shoulder couldn't take it anymore and he felt a twist in it that caused him to almost dive into the ocean and nearly let go of Moana before he caught her in time. This caused Moana to tighten her grip as she felt a twinge of pain in her side and she cried out in protest before she let out another cough that sent blood out of her mouth. In fact it was the third cough she had since the journey back to her home began and it made her wonder what exactly the coral managed to pierce inside her body. Already blood had seeped out of her other wounds and fell into the ocean in many drops like rain.

Maui then realized he couldn't fly to the village anymore unless he wanted to risk dropping Moana. Just as he reached the shoreline, he was forced to shift forms and quickly caught Moana in one arm before he fell and then collapsed to his knees in the wet sand and used his hook to keep himself upright. The impact could have shattered his knees if he had been mortal and he did let out a groan and screwed his face up at the pain, but he forced himself to get up as best as he could while Moana struggled to hold onto him with one arm around his neck and her free hand clutching the wound to try to stop the bleeding. Every sudden movement seemed to push the coral farther into her or else widened the gash it was stuck in.

Maui tried to force himself to run to dry sand before the water could knock him over, but he only got a few feet across the dry sand before his body gave up on him. He found his grip slipping on the hook before he was on his knees again while trying to keep a hold on Moana.

"No, no, NO!" Maui yelled in frustration before hissing in pain. He could _not_ give up now, he had to get Moana to someone who could save her in time! He struggled to get back on his feet, but his internal injuries protested more so than ever. Unknown to him, Moana could sense what was wrong and she herself realized that he was not going to be able to make it to the village, no matter what form he would take. The damage he suffered on the outside–all those bruises and bleeding gashes–was nothing compared to the injuries on the inside.

"Don't," Moana pleaded as she tried to hold onto Maui. "Don't push yourself." She winced when she tried to turn her body to face him, but the coral inside her would not let her do so without adding to her discomfort.

Maui tried to grab his hook to prop himself up, but once he had it propped up and he was able to force himself up by a few inches, his arm gave away on him. He almost slipped right into the sand and had to quickly grab onto the hook again.

"Its ok!" Moana tried to protest. "Maui–"

"No its not ok!" Maui snapped in anger as he tried one last time to get back up. "I can't let you–!" He tried using all his strength to stand, but he felt his knees were shaking and he let out a frustrated yell as he was forced to let go of the hook, sit in the sand, and found himself turning to face the ocean.

He struggled to breathe as he felt his anger rise inside him and he held his head with his free hand while still keeping a hold on Moana, who was half laying in his lap and half propped up and resting against both his his good arm and chest.

He could see that Moana's injury in her side was already bleeding out quite a bit around the coral fragment. In fact, thanks to her other injuries she was already starting to look rather weak, even as she tried to wipe the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand before it dropped in her lap. At least in this position she wouldn't choke on her own blood, but it was clear it wouldn't be enough. She was losing her color and she just looked so _frail_ that it just seemed wrong. Even after regaining his demi-god status, she still seemed a little stronger than most humans, but now she just felt too light in his hold to the point that maybe she could easily break in half with one wrong movement.

But the worst part? He could sense the fear of death in her eyes and yet she gave him a look of grim acceptance to her fate and it _killed_ him. She _knew_ better than him what was going to happen and she was able to handle it far better than he ever could.

He came so far to the point that he had to force himself with all of his being to get here. Why did his body have to give up on him right before he could get her to safety? Why couldn't he save this one person? Why...

" _Why?_ " He half demanded, half pleaded. "Why did you come after us? Why did you try to take the blow for me?!" Why would she do this after he made it clear he would grant her the freedom she rightfully deserved and make it so that she would never have to be bothered by him or Tamatoa ever again? Why would she be so willing to try to sacrifice herself in his place?

Moana looked into Maui's eyes as his hand moved away to hold onto her. She had no idea how she could explain the entire reason in a short amount of time. She could feel her life draining out of her injuries and even within her own body.

"I didn't want him to go after my island." She began. "But...I did it because..." She closed her eyes for a moment and when she smiled, she opened them again. "It's also because you're my friend."

That was it. Just simple and to the point.

She watched as Maui's waiting look had changed to utter confusion and disbelief. "I'm sorry... I wasn't able to grant your wish." Her smile became a regretful one. "But I didn't want anything bad to happen to you." She gulped and smiled again. "So I'm glad I was there in time... I guess I was able to make it up to you." She let out a small, weak laugh that slightly hurt her side.

She turned her head to look at the ocean. The now gentle waves were soothing, like a song, and the dark sky was illuminated with stars, and it all gave her a sense of peace. She didn't deny that she was afraid of dying, no matter what she had been told about a life after death, but the ocean was able to calm those fears somewhat for the moment.

Unknown to Moana, Maui was processing what Moana just told him. Despite everything that had happened to her, she still willingly chose to try to help him and even risked giving her life away for his own sake–something he could not recall anyone doing for him in living memory–and still called him a friend. He didn't know what to make of it–there was a part of him that was happy, relieved, and thankful to her, but now there was a deep pain inside him that he rarely felt that hurt worse than any physical injury.

He gained a friend... a _true_ friend in every sense of the word... and now he was going to lose her forever and there was nothing he could do about it. He was going to have to say good-bye to another mortal but it was not just any mortal. It was someone he had placed high above himself, had actually tried to open his heart to, and who didn't turn her back against him or try to put him down. It was someone who genuinely cared about him and had been brave enough to come help. It was someone who didn't need him to do anything drastic to gain their life long appreciation and who had given him the compassion he didn't realize that he appreciated until now.

But now she was going to die at an all too young age instead of a natural, peaceful death.

As Moana stared at the ocean a thought came to her. "Was..." She began. "Was this the same shoreline? The one all those years ago when I first met you?"

As that pain rose inside Maui, he looked up and glanced around. "Yes... maybe?" His voice cracked as he tried to hold what he was feeling back. "I... I guess it is... I don't know." He felt horrible not knowing if he had it right or not as he shook his head.

"Oh," Was all she could say as she stared at the ocean. She had no idea what to do as she waited and she just could not think of any final requests other than to see her family one last time. She never gave too much thought about death, nor what form she would take in the next life, but she didn't want to think about it while she still could. Instead she made to reach for the fragment inside her and tried to pull it out as there was no point in leaving it in there anymore–at least it would be painless afterwards. She tried to fight back a cry as she did so and shut her eyes in pain until she felt a hand around hers and helped her pull the fragment out.

She had to fight back the final cry but failed as the hand moved away from her and tossed the fragment away into the ocean as far as its owner could throw it. The coral no longer hindered her, but she could feel that her blood was slowly flowing out of the remaining wound. She found herself humming a song through the pain as her hands clenched up into fists until–

" _See the line where the sky meets the sea, it calls me..."_ Her voice came out in a weak melody in her desperation to keep her mind away from the throbbing sensation within her side and Maui couldn't hold it anymore as he took in a sharp breath of air and bought his hand back to his face. _"And no one knows, how far it goes."_

" _If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me..."_ She paused as she could hear Maui's breath come out in an uneven stagger that was recognizable and she realized why. She struggled to reach up to hug Maui, even as her body protested against it and when he opened his eyes long enough to see what she was trying to do, he helped her up so that she could wrap her arms around his neck and bury her face in his shoulder and held her as carefully as he could.

She didn't need to look to know that he was crying.

It was like this for a few moments and Maui refused to let Moana go for as long as he could as he experienced an all too human emotion that he rarely felt, had never wanted to feel, and now he couldn't stop himself. As he held her, he bowed his head and sobbed as he let the tears fall.

It took Moana a few seconds before she herself buried farther into Maui and allowed her own tears to fall. She didn't want to let go and she wished it hadn't come to this, so all she could do was hold on for as long as she could. This may not have been the same hug she missed, but she could still feel that same feeling of being safe, along with a friendly familiarity of something that was uniquely his own.

Moments later, Maui heard the sound of someone running towards them. Maui turned his head and saw Tui panting out of breath and staring desperately at him from a slight distance. It only took a few seconds for Tui to look at his face to realize that something was wrong and Maui could not bring himself to see how he would react before carefully moving Moana. He held Moana's head and pressed her forehead against his own for a few seconds with his eyes closed. She pressed her forehead farther into his when she recognized what he was doing and her hold tightened up just a little more.

He wanted to stay with her for a little longer, but he had to return her to her family like he originally meant to do. He couldn't think of any final words for her (he doubt he could have _anything_ to say as his final words to her), other than offer this one final gesture that meant so much to her and her people.

Maui then shifted himself so that he could face Tui when he knelt beside him with a horrified look on his face at the sight of his dying child. All the while, Maui could only give Tui a mournful and apologetic look as there was nothing he could say to the man. With as much care as he could, Maui maneuvered Moana and gently passed her to her father until Tui placed his arms under her.

Moana was momentarily unaware as to what Maui was doing and as she felt his hold slip away from her, she tried to reach a hand out for him. _Don't go._ She pleaded as she watched Maui struggle to move away from her with a look of regret on his face as well as a sadness that reached her heart and made her cry more tears. _Don't go!_ She internally begged. _Please come back!_

When she heard the sound of her father crying and let out a painful "Moana?" she realized who was now holding her as well as the reason why Maui gave her up to him.

"Dad?" She whispered as she turned to took up at her father while Maui backed away from them as far as his body could allow him to, even if he wanted to just get out of there and couldn't because his hook was near them. He could see Sina help guide Tala towards the shoreline somewhere in the distance and he could do nothing but turn away and hold his face in his hands. He wanted to be with Moana, but he had no place with her family and she needed to be with them–not the person who lead her to her death. His body couldn't let him get up and leave, so he was forced to sit through her final moments.

Tui was already crying as he didn't know whether to hug his daughter or simply hold her so that her injury wouldn't be anymore painful. "I'm sorry." Moana could only try to say as she recalled what almost happened earlier that day. "I didn't mean to–what I did earlier–"

" _No_." Tui firmly spoke as he shook his head. "I failed you as a father. I shouldn't have allowed any of it to have happened because of–" He let out a deep sigh as he hugged his daughter as carefully as he could. "I should be the one who is sorry." He gently placed his hand on her head and buried his head into her. "You are far braver than I could ever dream to be." His voice shook.

"Moana?!" Sina gasped as she saw her daughter and hurried to join her husband on Moana's other side. She gasped once more as she placed a hand over her mouth as she realized the nature of Moana's fate and could only stare before she let out a soft "No."

"Mom?" Moana turned her head and gave her mother a smile. It was too much for Sina, who grabbed her daughter's hand and held onto it for dear life as if to never let her go. Sina sobbed as her own tears began to develop as Tui held his daughter in a manner similar to how Maui did earlier so that she could see her mother. "Yes," Sina struggled to say. "I'm here."

Tala then finally joined the rest of them and knelt beside Sina, blocking Maui from Moana's view, though Moana was more focused on her family.

"Everyone is safe right?" Moana asked. "I was able to save them... I was able to save my friend." She gave Tui a knowing look as best as she could. Even now she could feel that everything was starting to fade and it was growing colder by the second.

"Everyone is safe." Tala confirmed as she was about ready to come to tears. She knew Moana was brave and determined–she would always be proud of her–but it was still too much to see her granddaughter dying before _she_ did. It just _wasn't_ right.

"Good." Moana smiled as her eyes drifted to the ocean, whose gentle, yet mournful waves upon the sands of the shoreline and upon itself were more like a lullaby now. "That's good."

"Moana." Sina pleaded as she saw her daughter's eyelids struggle to stay up and her grip on her hand tightened. "Stay with us!"

"Please don't blame Maui... please..." Moana asked as she felt herself grow tired. "I... I made my choice." She didn't see Maui tighten up or his body shuddering when she mentioned him. "I don't regret it."

"Moana!" Tui's arms were trembling and he squeezed Moana as if that alone could keep her awake.

Moana looked at the ocean that she loved so much, but she knew that there were other things she loved just as much. "I love... you all." Moana struggled to stay awake as it grew colder by the second and everything was starting to blur. "I love..." She struggled to say one last time as she felt her heart slow down and she struggled with all her might to stay awake. "you... and... I..."

She closed her eyes and after her head collapsed into her father's body she became still.

"Moana!" Sina pleaded as she grabbed Moana's body from Tui. "Moana wake up! Please wake up!" She pleaded, but it was no use–Moana did not wake up and her heart ceased beating.

Sina froze in horror. "No," She shook her head. "No!" she buried herself into Moana and hugged her body close to her own as Tui hugged both his wife and his daughter's body. "No, no, no, _no_!" Sina cried as she tightened her hold, which caused Tui to tighten his hold on his wife while he struggled with his sobbing and pressed his head against hers. "Come back! _Please come back_!" Sina begged.

Tala placed her hands over her mouth and her body shook as her own tears came out while she let out deep sobs. She never wanted to see this moment for as long as she was still alive, but it came almost without warning. The chain that had started the day before–the one she could have prevented if she had yelled out to Moana when she was on her boat–finally came to its end and it was too late to change it. She took a deep breath and held her face in her hands as her tears flowed out.

All these reactions were more than enough to tell Maui that Moana had finally passed away. It was too much for him and he couldn't stop his own tears as he tried to hold himself as tightly as he could to the point that he didn't want to let go no matter how much it hurt. He gripped his arms to the point that his nails nearly broke the skin. He couldn't think straight and he couldn't bring himself to leave.

 _I didn't even finish teaching her how to be a wayfinder._

There was _nothing_ he could do to bring her back. It was something he knew he could _never_ be able to accomplish, no matter how tempting it would be.

There was much sorrow on that shoreline as Moana's loved ones mourned for her. Nothing else mattered as they became caught up in those emotions and memories of the girl who meant something special to each one of them.

Yet none of them noticed the woman in white garments, with long flowing dark hair and a crown of flowers on her head. In her arms was both Pua and Heihei and for once both creatures were aware as to what was going on and what just happened.

Pua let out a mournful squeak and gave the woman a pleading look as Heihei clucked in confusion. Did the human who kept insisting on picking him up... was she gone? He couldn't sense her anymore. It didn't _feel_ right to the rooster who let out a mournful clucking sound.

The woman looked down at Pua and smiled at him before setting both creatures down. Pua hurried past her to join Moana's family while Heihei trailed after the woman as she walked her way towards the small group, but not before stopping behind Maui.

She watched as the demi-god cried for his lost friend and she frowned in deep sympathy before placing a gentle hand upon his shoulder. The moment she did, the injuries he had sustained in his long fight began to fade away and heal and the blood he carried upon him vanished as if it all was never there to begin with, but her touch could not reach the pain that was within his heart.

Seconds passed and his crying slowed down as if he had become aware of her and she looked up in time to see a blue orb of light hovering between him and the girl's family. Heihei was staring at it almost transfixed, but there was a look in his eyes as if he was prepared to guard it with his life.

"Please," Maui begged in a quiet voice without looking up at the woman. "Save her."

The woman smiled and moved away from Maui and to the orb with careful steps. Heihei suddenly shot a warning look at the woman when she got too close to the orb, but then he calmed down and even Pua turned away from Moana's family to watch the woman with a cautious glance when she stopped at the orb. She could sense all animal life upon and around Motonui and she could sense a few that were once humans in their former life that were ready to either protect the soul or help guide it to the afterlife (including a shark who was once the previous Chief and also the grandfather of the owner of this soul).

The woman gave both creatures a reassuring glance and then carefully cupped the orb in her hands and pressed it against her forehead in a hongi.

* * *

When Moana awoke, she was on her boat in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight. There was no more pain inside her and she could feel the warmth of the sun on her skin but something didn't feel right. She was alive and yet not quite.

 _Am I... dead?_ She wondered as she stared up at the bright blue sky before getting up. _Or am I dreaming?_

"Hello again, Moana." Moana turned to see the woman from her dream sitting near the sail. She gave Moana a loving smile while her green eyes were filled with compassion.

"You!" Moana nearly gasped in shock.

"We owe you our thanks." The woman went on. "It is thanks to you that you ended the cycle of revenge. There was no telling what either of those two could have done, but in Maui's case..." She let out a sigh. "He means well when he works to help the humans. He can be both hasty and prideful to a fault but he can also be capable of a dark nature if pushed too far. There is no telling what could have happened if he continued to go on unchecked." A dark look was in her eye. "And as you found out, even he cannot resist temptation."

"But none of this was all Maui's fault!" Moana felt herself get angry as she forgot to ask the woman what was happening or why she was here with her. "Yes he makes mistakes but if you were so concerned about him then why weren't you clear to me the first time around?!"

"I wanted to give him a chance." The woman gave Moana a sympathetic look. "You have had to endure so much because of this, yet you deserve to know the answers."

"Maui's heart was in a place of confusion and it is true that he was being taken advantage of by a few mortals over the years." The woman began. "We may not see everything, but the ocean learned much as a pattern began to form. And Maui _might_ live longer than most mortals but his heart is still as human as it was when he was born. That human side desired the love and appreciation from mortals in a way that we don't necessarily need as much as you do. A moment of praise is nothing compared to the reassurance of friendship or love, no matter how brief. Of course a lifespan that is almost as long as the gods lead to him having to witness more than a human could take... too many died before him and he began to realize what he was missing... and I'm sure you gathered all you needed to know from both him and Tamatoa."

"He was born of mortal parents who didn't want him." Moana closed her eyes in pain at this memory as she sat down beside the woman. "And he was trying to gain the love and approval of mortals to make up for that, but you can't if it's a never ending cycle with each generation and you always feel like you have to prove yourself."

"Yes, I'm afraid so." The woman shut her eyes and frowned. "No child deserves that fate. All deserve the right to know of love and family, no matter who they are. We gave him a second chance because we could see someone capable of greatness and compassion. You know of this too, but as I said, his heart is still human and it yearned for something we could not give, nor easily understand as you would. Something that Tamatoa recognized and took advantage of.

There was a time when they were good friends, but Tamatoa's own insecurities were getting the better of him and you know what that lead to." She sighed. "I am glad you were able to stop the cycle and that Maui chose to spare Tamatoa, but I may still need to have a word with that creature when I get the chance. Or at least one of us will need to do it."

Moana began to have an understanding that the woman was of divine power during this discussion, but she was still focused on her words. "You took away Maui's constellation... you could have stopped Tamatoa." She pointed out.

"It was too late for us when Maui reverted back to his mortal state and we did argue about his actions." The woman admitted. "Yet we made a compromise and the more sympathetic side–including myself–wanted to give him a chance to see if being a mortal again would make him happy and if it was the best outcome for him, should he otherwise go down a dark path. We hid the constellation to protect him and those he would encounter from his enemies. We did not foresee the consequences." The woman gave Moana an apologetic look. "I already learned why that became a problem and how Tamatoa was able to find your island. The ocean tried to stop him as best as it could and as I had said before, I would not have been able to reach you in time."

"The ocean was trying to help Maui." Moana recalled how it obeyed her wish to get to him. "But I don't understand something. Why bring him to _my_ island?"

"Because," The woman began "the ocean remembers all that happens within it, including one important moment. There was one human Maui opened his heart to a few years ago and the ocean decided to help Maui and take a risk with both him and this human. The ocean decided to see if that human–who had the right personality to handle a former demi-god and a trickster at that–could be the one to grant Maui's deepest wish and hopefully teach him some humility. Someone who he would try to take a chance with. Someone the ocean had been keeping an eye out for quite awhile and had already adored even when they were still in infancy." She turned her head to the girl.

Moana stared in shock. "M...me?"

The woman smiled. "The world needs more people like you, Moana. You have displayed the qualities ideal for a leader to your people, but the quality within you that resonates the most–that of compassion–has always been your strongest quality from the moment you came to this world. Your bravery, your careful thinking, and the love of your heritage... that is a deep love that I don't see or hear of very often. One which you have been willing to make sacrifices for, for more times than the ocean could count." The woman placed a hand on Moana's shoulder. "You are far stronger than you know, you put others before your desires and safety, and nothing, not even a curse or the face of death, can stop you. Many who know you recognize your qualities and Maui was drawn to you for that reason."

Moana gave the woman a weak smile. "Thanks... but... I didn't grant Maui his wish." She then frowned with much regret. "I mean, I would have accepted him no matter what form he took but I wish there had been a way to help him." She sighed in frustration. "If I hadn't let Tamatoa distract me before I told Maui I would have liked it if he stayed–"

The woman chuckled. "No Moana–you _did_ grant Maui's wish. What did he really want? Why do you think he gave up the chance to become a human again when he had it? Why did he offer to sacrifice his life in exchange for your freedom?"

Moana thought for a moment and remembered what she had learned. "He... he wanted to feel accepted. He wanted to feel wanted– _genuinely_ wanted." She frowned. "He wanted someone who wanted him for himself."

"That is correct." The woman answered as she let go of Moana. "And though it is within my power to remove his status as a demi-god, he doesn't want that anymore."

"What?!" Moana gasped.

"You made him feel like he _could_ belong and you proved to him that someone cares deeply for him, even despite that he is a demi-god who could have survived that attack and would outlive you. In fact his willingness to sacrifice his happiness and his life in exchange for your own _and_ your own sacrifice and compassion for him was enough to convince the gods that Maui would not be a threat to the world anytime soon and that he could atone for his actions."

"He will not be punished; he will retain his powers and I believe his renewed faith in your kind will encourage him to continue aiding the humans." The woman added. "Plus he made it clear to me in his own words that there wouldn't have been a point to becoming a mortal again if it had lead to your demise."

Moana felt herself about ready to cry as the woman explained this all to her, but for a number of reasons.

"I'm glad he's safe... and so is everyone else." Moana confessed. "But I wish I could have stayed longer. I guess I might see them again as a spirit... I never really thought about what I would come back as." She felt frustrated. "I want to be there for them as I am, but I can't if spirits can only be there to guide us... guide the living." She felt her throat tighten up when she realized she had to make that correction. "This wasn't the freedom I was seeking." She wasn't even sure where she would go after this. Would she become a spirit, go to the underground, go up into the heavens? Was this vast ocean without any friendly face in sight (besides the woman) what she had desired after all?

She sighed as she hugged her legs to her chest and fought the urge to cry. "And if Maui can do what makes him happy, I'm glad for him. But I don't want him to feel lonely or miserable again. I don't want him to do something he'll regret later because–" _I could have told my people to always welcome him as if he were one of us._ She thought with regret as she stared out into the ocean. _And now its too late._ "No one deserves that. _He_ doesn't deserve that."

The woman looked at Moana with understanding. She already missed her family and it was true that one day she would reunite with them in death. Yet there would be no peace in the girl's heart over the matter as she deeply cared about the demi-god's happiness. In the end she truly saw him for who he was and had accepted him into her heart, flaws and all.

The woman paused and thought for a moment before smiling. "I think that, due to these extraordinary circumstances–for all that you have sacrificed and for how far you went to protect all that you love–you deserve a gift. I can bring you back to life as you are now."

Moana stared at the woman in shock but she felt herself grow hopeful. Did she hear this correctly?

"There is, however, a catch." The woman admitted. "You will retain your human form for at least four or five more years, but then you must take on a new form."

"Oh," Moana was disappointed at this. "I guess that would give me time to decide on an animal form." She didn't want to deal with that sort of time limit. She could already see the restrictions and pressures that would come with it.

The woman chuckled. "I didn't say it was an animal form."

Moana was confused. "What other form then? A plant, rock, a spirit, or–" She stopped when the thought hit her. "Wait... wait... no way. Are you saying..." Moana could not believe this. "Are you... are you offering to make me... like Maui?"

The woman smiled and nodded.

"Why?" Moana was surprised at such a powerful offer. "Why offer someone like me such power?"

"Because the world needs more people like you and I cannot deny your people a great and promising leader, however long you choose to hold that position." The woman told her before frowning. "And honestly I probably won't be able to step in to stop Maui from doing anything reckless like this again. It _would_ help us greatly if there was someone there to keep him in check once in awhile." Despite her kindly nature, there was a twinge of annoyance in her eyes.

Moana was still amazed and she smiled before she remembered what Maui had said about being immortal.

"If... if I accept, then I'll outlive everyone else." Moana said with a slight pain in her heart. "Mom, Dad, Grandma, Pua, Heihei, our people..." If she accepted, she would risk going through what Maui went through.

"By the time I could remove the power of a demi-god from you without any risk of killing you, they would all be long gone." The woman admitted with genuine regret. "You would still be too young and new if I did it too soon."

"It is an offer, but what you do with it is only up to you." The woman told Moana. "You deserve to have a choice Moana, and I will not make it for you. Your story was not supposed to end all too soon, but it _will_ continue on. And I will not deny that this choice will come with a price, but I can think of many reasons why you would want it–some of which you are not quite yet aware of. If not, then I understand and if you wish to continue onto the afterlife, I will stay with you until your ancestors come to you with their boats. They too have been watching over you and wish for your happiness."

Moana thought for a moment before she saw the necklace on her neck and held onto the shell. _Whatever happens, whatever path you choose, know that you will always be my granddaughter_ _…_ _We will always love you._ Her grandmother's words rang in her head.

She knew what she truly wanted deep down in her heart.

"They miss me," She stated. "I want to go back." She shut her eyes as a tear escaped out of one of her eyes. "We all have to say goodbye at some point... but I'm not ready to do that just yet. I don't care about what happens in the future right now. I just want to go back to them." She felt more tears escape.

She wanted to go _home_.

She wanted them _back_.

She turned to the woman and opened her eyes. "Can I be able to have both land and sea in my life?" She asked.

"It is your life Moana. Do as you wish–I know you will use this gift wisely and I have my full trust in you. Be with them for as long as you want and need to be and always be yourself."

Moana gasped as she went over to hug the woman. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!" She cried as she felt the warmth of the woman's body in her embrace and buried her head into the woman's shoulder and her long hair.

The woman accepted Moana's hug and caressed Moana's hair in a motherly way. "You're welcome, my child."

* * *

The woman smiled as she heard Moana's laugh at her words from within her head. She turned to Moana's family and as they continued to mourn over the girl's empty body, she walked towards them while carrying her soul within her hands.

Maui took a breath and finally turned to watch the woman in stunned silence as she approached the family. Even Moana's animal companions watched as they waited to see what would happen.

The girl's grandmother was the first to notice her and she ceased her tears when she sensed the true nature of the woman, who could see that Tala's own time would end soon at some point in the near future. Tala stared in amazement at the woman, who turned to Tui and Sina–the latter was carrying a life inside her, with full promise of a safe arrival into the world when its time would come. The woman patiently waited as Tala placed a hand on Tui's shoulder and the man turned to see the woman holding the soul.

Not sure as to what was going on, yet daring to hope for a miracle, Tui grabbed Sina's shoulder and the woman turned to look at her husband before looking at the woman.

The woman knelt before the body of Moana and one hand reached out for her while the other held onto the soul. She gave the parents a smile of reassurance and waited as they looked from her to each other before Sina finally guided Moana's body to the woman. She held a hand over her mouth and ceased her crying as Tui wrapped an arm around her–he could do nothing, but try to hope harder than he ever had in his life for something incredible to happen.

The woman stared at Moana as she gently held her body. " _There's something I still don't understand."_ She could hear Moana. _"Who are you? Why did you of all the gods care so much about all of this to the point you offered me this choice?"_ The woman merely smiled as she placed the soul into the body and watched it fade back into the chest.

* * *

"Because I am one who can grant life and rebirth." The woman responded back to Moana as she pressed her forehead against her own. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply into Moana, filling her with her breath of life with all her capacity and love.

Moana closed her eyes and breathed it in. She felt herself be filled up with something wondrous and almost unexplainable besides feeling like she was taking a breath of air after being in water for too long, and yet she felt as if she were in the water at the same time.

Because her eyes were closed, Moana did not see the glowing green spiral that was exactly where the woman's heart was.

* * *

 **I grew up on Disney and I refuse to believe in sad endings. Not all endings are happy, or maybe they are bittersweet, but if I must have a happy ending then I will make it happy. So this was my way of incorporating the original ending of the Little Mermaid, but with an important twist and reinterpretation to make it happy instead of bittersweet.**

 **Also, every time a reviewer wanted to see Tui get punished or hated him, I kept thinking of Moana's future death and refrained from saying anything about it. Oh he got punished alright... in the most horribly tragic way possible.**

 **...**

 **For those of you who are wondering where the coral damaged Moana... I'm** _ **tempted**_ **to say that it** _ **might**_ **have cut into or punctured her spleen, if nowhere else. Otherwise the stomach and lungs would be somewhere near that same area... but I'm not a medical expert and I'm guessing the injuries there would have to be more agonizing. You can survive without your spleen for a bit, but you** _ **would**_ **die faster from the internal bleeding, according to my research. Otherwise you would probably die from infection from a coral wound and especially one that deep inside you (which is why its advised to get treatment from such injuries as soon as possible).**

 **This is** _ **why**_ **its important to do your research on the human body if you are going to injure a character somewhere in particular. I'm not even sure if a damaged spleen equals coughing up blood anymore, unless internal bleeding equals... ARGH!**

 **...**

 **Creating this chapter was tricky because I realized I needed to make sure I had my research correct about possible resurrection in Polynesian culture and I double checked after I wrote the majority of it, but the best I found was that (in some cultures) if you caught the soul of the dead, you could bring someone back to life if you returned it to their body. There is a LOT of variation on the afterlife in Polynesian culture, from making a journey to an ancestral island, an underworld, waiting on a shoreline for a tree to take you to the afterlife, an animal guarding a soul until its ready to move on, etc.**

 **Speaking of an animal guarding the soul, I saw something about how an animal spirit or 'Aumakua' (which I think can be a human in a previous life) protects its family and some of them include sharks and octopuses. Which explains a** _ **few**_ **things.**

 **In the case of this fic, its a matter of considering how is death represented in Moana, combined with what aligns with the storyline I'm using, and an interpretation for a certain character and a certain action. If I messed something up big time, I apologize.**

 **That said, we have one last chapter to go. It shouldn't take long since its mostly complete at this point... unless I get a bunch of reviewers saying they were wanting Maui to turn into a human and for Moana to survive and stay mortal. I can write that as an alternate ending after the final chapter but that depends on HOW many want it.**


	15. Finale

**So... here we are at the very end.**

 **When I started this fic, I wasn't convinced it would get far beyond a one shot or gain much attention after having mixed luck with my other fan fics last year (its a long story). Yet here we are, fourteen chapters later.**

 **In the** _ **'Art of Moana'**_ **book there are a couple of lines to mention that the creative team of the film learned or heard. 1.** _ **'For years we have been swallowed by your culture. One time, could you be swallowed by ours?' 2.'the ocean unites us, it doesn't divide us.'**_

 **A goal of this fan fic was to keep the original setting instead of going for something more familiar and to make sure I could incorporate all I could learn about Polynesian culture as accurately and respectfully as I could and I have learned much through this. Hopefully you have had a chance to look into what I have used in this fan fic to accomplish that first point to further the knowledge of this fascinating culture. I think it is more enjoyable and more of a good challenge to set an AU in the world/culture the characters live in and that we should share what we have learned, if possible.**

 **And you know its funny, I was singing a few Moana songs to some children awhile back (including 'Shiny'- yes, THAT was a lot of fun and I got to pretend to be a little like Tamatoa and YES I am reminded of chapter two of this fic when I say that) and who knows? Maybe they too will one day look into the culture and desire to expand their knowledge of the world.**

 **Our ocean in this case has been** _ **Moana**_ **and I never know what is going on in my readers' lives when I write something or why they like the same things I like. I feel like I am a master (or in this case, I almost feel as vain as Tamatoa) when I can create something or invoke emotions, yet I try to not let it get into my head. I admit to being a perfectionist and I can be obsessive that I want to get it all right, but sometimes I try to take my time and not rush things. I would rather be a good human being than a perfect one but if I can make someone happy and brighten up their day, then it was worth it all in the end.**

 **So while this was an AU** _ **begging**_ **to exist, I had no idea what I would be in for. I still hope one day I can publish my own original writings, but I needed this outlet when I needed it and I don't want my stress to overwhelm me (trying to find a self-publishing company and dealing with a few other things at the same time would have been a bit much).**

 **Also it was fun to try to write out more moments where little dialogue was shared between characters and where gestures and actions could be as strong as dialogue, if not more.**

 **Until then, I feel like I did something good through this fan fic and I hope you enjoy this long awaited conclusion...**

 **...Ah wait a second, I need to drag someone back in for the reviews real fast.**

"Come on, come back!" HolyMaiden24 tried pulling at one of Tamatoa's legs. "Don't you want to say farewell to your fans?"

Tamatoa just let out a laugh. "I said I wouldn't come back, and now you're trying to bring me back in!"

"Yeah, but you are apparently a bigger inspiration than I realized, so it wouldn't be fair!"

The crab sighed. "Ok fine, just for this final bit and then I'm getting out of here."

* * *

 **LunaiWolfWings:** You know, Moana WAS going to get a tattoo of the spiral within a circle on her back and Te Fiti would have told her 'once the circle vanishes, thats when you get your long lifespan' but I changed my mind when I remembered the whole 'tattoos equals adulthood' which I wasn't aiming for THAT soon.

 **Tamatoa's response to LunaiWolfWings: No you cannot eat me plz and I am CLEARLY not dead!**

 **Enigma:** Greetings, HolyMaiden 24... and farewell? Thank you for reviewing so often, I appreciate that.

 **Tamatoa's response to Silversun XD: Ha ha, yes I did. Making Maui suffer WAS worth it all and I enjoyed it. And I appreciate your compliment to my voice–it IS one of a kind after all! (Though why do they all keep comparing it to that one New Zealander I keep hearing about?)**

 **Child of Dreams:** Yes Te Fiti. :D

 **Tamatoa's response to Child of Dreams: Oh he WISHES he could be as fabulous as me, let alone related. I got to admit I'll miss you, even though you are an interesting reviewer.**

 **Guest:** I've encountered or heard of fan fics that come close to that possible headcannon, but I like yours more because at least she gets to live out a human life and then actually becomes a demi-goddess instead of something else. Tamatoa doesn't show up in this chapter and he might just get a warning knowing Te Fiti... IDK.

 **Tamatoa's response to Guest:... which Tamatoa are you referring to?**

 **CountingApples:** I think what Moana went through and did in the film was enough to grant her the choice to become a demi-god and its my favorite headcannon (I predict this could be a thing on 'Once upon a Time' if she DOES show up, which I am praying for). And I've heard that its possible to become a demi-god under certain circumstances instead of just being born one. And I know what you mean about those AU fics (one of them ended up being a big let down, but I won't say which one).

Oh I've seen that film so I know what you mean :). I don't know if Moana would be the keeper of his humanity/sanity but there are a lot of ways that could be interpreted. I have some ideas for one shots (or... less than five chapter fics?), but it will be a long time before I would get into any more lengthier fics.

 **OrangeSunset1701:** I enjoyed developing that friendship with all its ups and downs and reaching the points I wanted to get to, from the true reunion in Ch. 11 (one of my favorite scenes to write out and the one I looked forward to the most), the sacrifices in Ch. 13, the sad parts of the previous chapter and... well, you shall see. Also I really enjoyed that waterfall scene and I admit I'm a little happy if I hear that I scared someone with it. I'm glad you have enjoyed this fan fic (in one go?!) and I hope I can provide a good conclusion for you.

 **Crocfarmer:** *chuckles* I will. And thank you. :)

 **ArmyWife22079:** Sorry for making you cry! But it looks like I did my job correctly.

 **vixon I:** *chuckles* well I'm glad it was a fun roller coaster for you. I'll miss creating it.

 **jhalpernkitcat:** Its a dumb theory due to the issue of the historical timeline (same with Tamatoa wishing for the Cave of Wonders) but not as dumb as 'Tarzan is Elsa and Anna's brother.' Heh, I guess he IS the evil version of Ariel... and I think I know what you mean by the missing 'pair' that's not in sight (*snickers like an immature high schooler*).

It was a sad scene to do (I'm sorry if I brought up that memory), but I wanted to build upon Te Fiti showing up right when we needed that 'Deus ex Machina' though I wondered how many people guessed her real identity all the way back in chapter 7. Moana IS getting that immortality, no take backs anytime soon, but I still wanted to give her some choices for the future (better than being forced to produce an heir within 4-5 years before her time is up in my opinion).

Thank you for reading this and reviewing since the very beginning. I wish the best for you... and tell your guy I said 'hello' since you mentioned him so often.

 **OfficialWhiteFireTheDragon:** Yes I suppose I did *shoves heart back into you* Well... lets see what happens in this final chapter (BTW thats my favorite headcannon for the film). And thanks for reviewing so often, I appreciate that.

 **Subuku no Jess:** Sooooo many variations on death in Polynesian culture that its hard to choose the right one. Originally I imagined Te Fiti singing 'Know who you are' when she appeared in that chapter (HEAVY irony right there) but I opted not to. Moana singing AND singing while trying to keep her mind off the pain sounded more powerful for me and especially if it was that song AND if it was cut off at that particular moment.

I was surprised no one started guessing who the mystery lady of chapter 7 was at any point (or at least came out to say it) even with the hints like her eyes so it feels like I provided one last 'OMG' moment with the most obvious giveaway clue at the very end.

I think her choice is obvious but what may come after... well, lets find out.

And hey... I'm glad you enjoyed this fan fic. It was nice to meet you. Thank you so much for all the love you have shown for it. :)

* * *

"Well, I guess that's all the–" HolyMaiden24 turned around to see Tamatoa running away as fast as he could... with ALL his fans riding his back or holding onto him for dear life.

"YOU ARE _ALL_ COMING WITH ME!" He yelled with delight as he hurried to Lalotai, to the equal delight of his fans who had zero things to complain about.

"...Uh, bye?" The writer awkwardly waved to the crab. "Well at least he got his own happy ending... I guess?" She shrugged.

 **Something I forgot to mention that I probably should have done last time. Another artist by the name of varrka made a drawing of the battle between Maui (in whale form) and Tamatoa from chapter 12. I think they might have it posted on their tumblr account, but I also posted it for them on my account and I credited them. If you find it, it would probably mean a lot more to them if you check their account out and support them. They deserve the support- they are a good artist and way better with lines than I am. And if you are reading this varrka, thanks again for that drawing.**

 **Oh yeah, I DID see that film theory by the Game Theory guy on youtube about Moana being a demi-god and while it was ok at first, I see some holes in just HOW it could be possible with his theory (especially with the last few handfuls of evidence... like... no, just no.** _ **Especially**_ **if you remember a few important facts or lines from the film. It almost makes it as bad as the 'Tarzan is Elsa and Anna's brother' theory. Otherwise its amusing at best, but if anyone likes the evidence then I wont judge them).**

 **So ok, here we go with the final chapter. There are some nods to the Disney version of the Little Mermaid ending if you look carefully. Can you catch them?**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Finale**

Only a couple unsuspecting eyes stared in shock as the woman in white whose forehead was pressed against Moana's had changed and shed her seemingly mortal appearance for her true form–a beautiful giantess who seemed to be more like a combination of earth and plant life. She was so enormous that part of her body went past the shoreline and into the water, but it was clear that while she seemed to almost rival the size of Tamatoa, there was no way that this was her true size.

Te Fiti–the life giving goddess–had come to bestow a miracle.

She carefully held her hands to her face as she breathed life into the broken body that rested within them. She willed the body to contain a divine mana that would one day mature and tie into the lifespan of the girl. She willed the body to become durable and healthy so that it would not give into pain as easily as it had before she died. She willed the body to flow with new blood, the flesh and internal parts to mend and heal, for the heart to restart, and she willed the body to stay in this realm where it belonged.

When she finally accomplished this, Te Fiti moved her hands away from her face and opened them to make sure that she had succeeded. When she saw that she did, she smiled before she slowly and carefully set her hands down upon the sands.

Moana was laying in Te Fiti's hands and she looked as if she were asleep and was about to wake up. The tattered and bloodied remains of her outfit were gone and had been replaced with a new outfit that seemed to combine her heritage and the era she had been born into. An outfit that seemed to be made more of dried grass, leaves of varying colors, red petals, and shells, rather than out of tapa cloth. A beautiful crown of flowers had been placed upon her head, which was perhaps the most noticeable of the adornments and yet the only thing that remained unchanged from her previous attire was the necklace her grandmother gave to her. Perhaps this additional change was necessary, so that she would not be reminded of what had happened to her when she would awaken.

All her wounds were no longer on her body as if she hadn't been harmed or mortally injured and her natural color had been restored. But more importantly was the steady rise and fall of her chest as if she were alive.

"Moana?" Sina pleaded with much hope in her heart that what she was seeing was not a cruel dream.

Moana let out a gasp and shot back up in a slight daze. It took her a few seconds to regain her sense of awareness and she stared at her hands before she looked up to see Te Fiti smiling down at her and she recognized her green eyes. "Te Fiti?" Then it hit her– _I'm alive._ Her eyes widened _. I'm actually alive._

Moana turned to see that her family was almost in equal amazement but it did not last long as both Tui and Sina ran into Te Fiti's hands and almost crushed Moana with their embrace when they knelt beside her. It was almost to the point that Moana thought she would get the newly regained life squeezed out of her, but she knew that this firm embrace was something both softer and yet much stronger than that one.

"Moana!" Sina cried out as she released tears of joy. "Oh thank the gods!" She buried her head into Moana's shoulder. "Thank the gods!" She couldn't help but repeat.

"Mom?" Moana asked. "Dad?"

"Yes!" Tui laughed with joy. "Yes!" He repeated himself as his voice slightly rose with happiness and his hold tightened.

Moana let out a gasp of relief and hugged her parents back as tightly as she could. She couldn't find the words to express her joy, but this love that she felt was more than enough for her. She no longer felt the cold that death had brought but instead the warmth that came from the embrace of her parents. She was back with her family once again.

"Thank you." Tala sighed with relief as she smiled at the sight of her family in the hands of the goddess and bowed her head in respect.

Te Fiti smiled down upon the parents and the daughter and made to attempt to force them off until Tui lifted Moana up without letting go of her and carried her back down to the sands. Sina followed suit, but not before giving the goddess a look of gratitude and a smile before joining her family. The goddess then watched as Tui let go of his daughter, so that Tala could come to her. All the while, Pua was letting out a series of happy cries as he dashed around Moana and Tala with delight. On the other hand, Heihei was already minding his own business as per usual and went back to pecking at a piece of driftwood on the sands.

"Moana!" Tala beamed as she scooped her granddaughter in a hug. The girl let out a cry of "Grandma!" and hugged the old woman back as tightly as she could.

"You have no idea what I did when I left the island!" Moana laughed. "I promise you're going to have a laugh over it!"

Tala briefly held a hand to her mouth as she let out her tears, tightened her hug on the girl, and then let out a relieved laugh. "You've impressed the gods!" Tala couldn't help but exclaim before she could let go of Moana so that she could hug her mother once more.

"I don't want to let you go!" Sina both laughed and cried at the same time as her hug tightened. "I _never_ want to let you go!"

"I'm ok, I'm back now!" Moana responded with a grin as she shut her eyes and tightened the hug in return before Sina kissed her cheek. "I'm fine!" She could feel Pua pawing at her feet and she opened one eye so that she could give him a smile before resuming her embrace with her mother. "I didn't want to leave you all... I love you." Moana whispered to her mother and held on as long as she could.

"And I love you forever and ever, my little minnow." Sina whispered back as she caressed Moana's hair.

Moana didn't want this moment to end. She had been granted a new life and while it was now one that would eventually surpass her family, she didn't want to think about it. This mattered more than that and anything else right now. She was with her family again after she thought her life was going to end all too soon, and she could not be any more happier.

Moana suddenly froze as she realized she almost completely forgot about someone who was just as important as her family. She loosened her hold on her mother and turned her head to see Maui standing a few feet away from her and her family.

Maui had honestly not expected that one of the gods was going to come and bring Moana back, let alone the one who normally secluded herself from the world to the point that some didn't think she existed. He didn't even think that Te Fiti would actually go to that extent and yet she did and he did not know how he could ever thank her for this.

Yet he knew he messed up and Moana had died because of him. He wasn't even sure if she would dare come back to him in the way she would always try to go back to the ocean. Even if she did, he was pretty sure that he would not be accepted so easily back so all he could do was stand and give her an awkward wave and an apologetic look. Just seeing that she was alive and happy with her family should have been good enough for him.

However, Moana could almost easily sense what was on his mind. She had spent enough time trying to understand him when he was unable to speak to be able to almost sense when something was going through his mind.

When Sina saw this exchange and how much Moana cared about the demi-god, she gently squeezed Moana's shoulder and when her daughter looked at her in confusion, she nodded with a smile and let go of Moana. Moana gave her mother a smile of thanks and then ran towards Maui as fast as she could with a large grin on her face and threw her arms open in preparation to embrace him.

That was all Maui needed and he forced aside his thoughts as he let out a sigh of relief and smiled back to Moana. The moment Moana practically leapt at him, he grabbed her by the waist, automatically lifted her up into the air as she placed her hands upon his shoulders, and his happiness was so much that he couldn't help but spin her in a circle around him. Her smile became a small laugh before he drew her towards him in a huge hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck and thick mane of wild hair and she could feel the comfort of his hold around her as he kept her suspended up above the ground and even when he finally came to a stop.

 _This_ was the embrace she remembered. The feeling as if she could hug a mountain and the mountain could hug her back– _this_ was it. It made her return the embrace with as much force as she could, if not similar.

"It's good to have you back, Moana." He couldn't help but tell her as he fought the urge to cry again.

"I'm not going away for a _really_ long time." She promised him. "I want you to stay, but I want you to be happy so could you promise to at least visit once in awhile? I want Motonui to always welcome you as if you were one of us."

Maui let out a small laugh and tightened his hold. "That would be great." He responded.

"Um..." Moana nervously began as she remembered something important and didn't know how Maui would take it. "She _might_ have done more than bring me back to life." She didn't know how else to break this to him.

Maui paused when he heard those words and finally sensed something within Moana that he missed–a small but still noticeable amount of a divine mana that Te Fiti had given to her. He had a strong feeling he knew exactly what _that_ meant but he didn't want to think too much about it right now. "Why am I not surprised?" He let out another laugh and shook his head instead. Moana was alive again and that was all that mattered to him right now.

Satisfied that all was well, Te Fiti chuckled with a smile and her body began to dissolve into petals and leaves of various flora and fauna. Moana's family watched as the trail of plant life that began to form gracefully twisted and turned in the sky spun around her until she completely became nothing more than just petals and leaves. Finally the trail flew out in a graceful twirl into the night sky and back to the island and reef she resided within that was many miles away. She had vanished from Motonui, but something did take her place that was now upon the shoreline.

Moana's boat had been bright back, along with her oar. It was still in good condition, if not better, and it was waiting to be used once more.

Sina was a little nervous as she watched Tui look at the boat in wonder and was obviously contemplating something. Surely there was a reason why the goddess would also bring back the boat after all that had happened. Upon realizing what that reason probably was, Sina placed a hand on Tui's arm and gave him a knowing, yet encouraging look when he looked at her and she smiled at him.

By now, Maui had finally set Moana back down and Moana had Maui by the hand as she pulled him towards her family with every intent to reintroduce him to them as she knew him and try to help explain all that happened (and hopefully get some food pretty soon because she hadn't eaten anything in a really long time and being brought back to life didn't fix that). Yet the moment she saw that her boat was back and that her father was looking at it with an unreadable expression, she hesitated.

"Dad," She nervously began as she realized there was still an issue or two that hadn't been cleared up between them. "I–I was trying to protect everyone–and I know I–"

"You can go." He finally said.

She stared in confusion. "What?"

"Go out there." He turned to face her with a sigh of acceptance. "I can't keep you away from the ocean forever and you might see and learn many things that only I could ever dream of." He smiled at her. "Who knows what you could bring back to us all?"

Moana let out a gasp of disbelief before she let go of Maui to hug her father as tightly as she could.

After all that happened Tui didn't want to lose Moana again, but he wanted to make amends and give her a chance. He learned about how she had felt and all the stress that had developed within her the night before from Tala and it made him feel more responsible for what had happened to his daughter than before. She may be the next in line but she was his daughter first and foremost and she deserved to be happy and thrive. She proved herself capable of great things in many ways and now it was time to give something to her that she wanted.

"Thank you." Moana smiled as she closed her eyes. "Thank you." She repeated again.

Tui could only smile as he retuned Moana's hug.

"And if he goes with you," Tui then gave the trickster demi-god that Moana had befriended a warning look "He better watch over you and _don't_ let him get you into too much trouble or else he'll have to answer to me."

Maui lost his smile as he felt a small twinge of fear for himself and he could swear that he felt Mini Maui snickering at him. Still he quickly smiled again and reassured Tui with all of his heart "You would be _really_ surprised to know what she is capable of, but that is a promise I'm never going to break."

Yet it made Maui happy that Moana was finally going to get what she had desired for a long time, without having to hide it any more.

* * *

The visitors had left on mostly good terms, but it took awhile before Moana was ready to leave (there was quite a lot of damage left behind and fales that needed to be fixed).

When that day finally came, it was a clear sky, the ocean was a peaceful shade of deep blue, and the winds were pleasant and favorable. Children spent their free time to play with kites, others could mind their work with little trouble, and Moana stood outside her family's fale as she made her final farewells. Many villagers had caught word about this and waited a distance by the fale before they could say their own parting farewells.

"I promise I'll be back in time before they come." Moana hugged her mother before placing a hand on her stomach where her future sibling was dwelling within. "I don't want to miss it!" She grinned.

"As long as you don't go too far for this first time." Sina smiled, relieved that finally she had the chance to share the good news (Moana had been excited and Tui was incredibly smug about the whole thing for many reasons after he recovered from the shock). "Be safe and tell us all about it all when you get back."

"I will." Moana promised before turning to her grandmother to hug her. "I'll bring back lots of stories to share." She reassured her.

"I look forward to them." Tala chuckled. When she parted with Moana, she placed a hand over the shell of the necklace around Moana's neck. "I don't need this anymore. This is now yours, so that you will never forget."

"Thanks grandma." Moana smiled as she held her hand one last time.

Moana then turned to Pua and petted him. "Are you sure you don't want to come, Pua?" She asked. When the pig shook his head, she asked "Next time then?" and he nodded with a squeal of approval–after all, this was Moana's dream and maybe she would let him know if it would be safe or not for next time.

"Alright then." Moana laughed. "Just keep an eye on–" Moana's voice drifted as she turned to see that Heihei was wearing half a coconut shell over his head and kept running into the fale. _"...Yeah."_ Moana's voice trailed off as Pua shook his head in disbelief. Some things were destined to never change.

Moana then got up and faced her father who smiled at her with pride. She smiled back and hugged him as tightly as she could.

"I love you, dad." She whispered.

"And I love you, Moana." He whispered back. "No matter what happens, you are my daughter and I will always be proud of you."

Moana shut her eyes as a tear almost escaped from them. "Thank you." She replied.

Tui finally let go of Moana, who then picked up her oar, but where were her belongings and supplies? Didn't she pack earlier that day?

"Moana, you did pack, right?" Sina asked.

"Its all on the boat." Moana reassured her mother.

"And the boat is..." Tui looked up to see that the boat was far out in the ocean in the distance. "... out in the water?" He gave Moana a worried look, but the girl shrugged and gave her father a mischievous grin as she held her oar up with both hands as high as she could and walked backwards away from her family until she was between them and the villagers.

"I'm taking a dramatic exit!" She laughed as a bird's cry could be heard close by in the distance. Seconds later, a large and familiar looking hawk dove down and caught the oar with his talons before he flew up with the girl holding onto it.

"BYE!" Moana yelled to her family and all the villagers as she crossed her legs together and hung onto the oar as tightly as she could. The children let out shrikes of delight and waved to their future Chief as the demi-god of legend then flew off and took her away to her boat while some adults were still recovering from the near heart attacks they had over his sudden entrance.

"I hope he doesn't get her into _too_ much trouble out there." Tui sighed as he stood by Sina, who could only smile.

"Well on the bright side, at least we know that there will be someone there for her when we can't be." Sina reassured Tui as she held his hand. Whatever would happen in Moana's future, then at least there was one more thing to take comfort in.

"Bye!" Moana's young students stopped dancing and waved as she was taken across her village and towards the ocean. "Bye!" Yelled the children who she told stories to and who she used to play a trick on Maui a long time ago. "Bye!" Yelled her people and friends like Talia who were working in the coconut grove. "Bye!" Yelled the fisherman as they went out to look for fish to catch in the waters around her home.

"I'LL BE BACK!" Moana yelled as her heart beat with eager excitement and adrenaline as the wind blew against her and she held onto the oar for dear life, though she knew Maui would catch her if she ever fell. Whatever her future held, whatever struggles would come her way, she knew what she wanted to do and she would be there for her people and her family in any way she could. She was not going to waste her second chance at life or this next part of her life and would use it all to its full potential.

When they were finally close enough to the boat, Moana felt Maui let go of the oar and she began to fall as he changed forms, yet before she hit the deck she felt him catch her with one arm keeping her pinned against him and they both tumbled into an ungraceful heap onto the boat's surface. He was laying on the boat with his hook out in one hand, while she was laying on top of him with her oar still in her hands.

It took a few seconds before both of them bursted out laughing. Moana could hear Maui's deep, loud, yet pleasant laugh over her own and felt his stomach move up and down under her body with each one which finally made her roll off of him. It made her happy to hear that laugh the way it was supposed to sound like at long last.

"Good start, but terrible landing!" She couldn't help but comment as she made to get up on her feet.

"Hey I gave you a good send off!" Maui reminded her as he struggled to get up.

"Which was your idea, not mine!" Moana threw back as she freed the sail from its binds and let the wind catch it so that the boat could go through the water.

"Well, maybe next time we'll take the simple exit like you wanted." Maui shrugged as he set his hook aside. "Speaking of which, where would you like to go first?"

Moana thought for a moment before giving Maui a grin. "As long as you don't suggest getting revenge on the kakamora, I'm open to anything."

Maui shot her a knowing smile. "Ok, but I _do_ have a few places in mind."

Moana chuckled and looked back at Motonui one last time before turning back so that she could make sure that her boat would complete its journey out of the reef and into the wide ocean that was happily and eagerly waiting for her. She could not imagine anyone else to travel alongside her for her first journey across the ocean. "Ok, I'm listening." She glanced to Maui from her position and waited to hear what he was going to say since it was probably bound to be crazy yet promising at the same time.

Moana was going to make sure that Maui was never going to feel alone ever again–especially when she was around–now that he was stuck with her. He was as much of a part of her world as she was in his world.

* * *

 **Cue the big chorus aaaaaaaaaannnnd- the end.**

 **Of course that was after they took care of the property damage on Motonui because of course that had to be looked into first. *Laughs***

 **Oh yeah…. uh, I think I'll leave this fic as is. No alternate ending since nearly everyone was satisfied with how things were in the last chapter.**

 **This, combined with my interpretation of Te Fiti's powers as a goddess, combining the Disney LM ending with Andersen's LM ending (and making it a happy one instead of sad), the myth of the Moana-Nui-Ka-Lehua mermaid goddess I read about before lead to... well, this ending.**

 **I wanted an ending that fit that could also honor and combine all that I knew. I didn't really intend for Maui to become human permanently because it didn't feel right for this fan fic. If you recall that Maui's arc in the film was tied to self-worth and finding acceptance, then you know why I made some of my choices.**

 **But at the same time it kills me to think that Moana won't be in Maui's life forever (and maybe only for a small time at that) which is why I love AUs where she can be a demi-god too. I mean that's one of the most depressing things Disney has ever come up with, if not THE most depressing thing ever to think about in a Disney film (thanks a lot, you jerks!). So I chose an ending that would allow her to stay in Maui's life while also making it so that she could get her wish and still be the awesome leader we all know she is.**

 **...**

 **Anyway, since I kept the relationship as platonic/friendship, this fan fic hopefully keeps your interpretation of the relationship between Maui and Moana (friends, spiritual siblings, etc. however it may be) while leaving room for hopeful shippers.**

 **Eh, I'm just glad I resisted my shipping urges for this fan fic.**

 **BUT if you are a shipper and want your** _ **'? years later'**_ **epilogue where Moana is finally considered a woman, and for me to turn Ocean's Duet into a two-shot (that was the reason why I left it as 'in-progress' this whole time) then I promise I will give it to you at some point in the future. You shippers WILL get your special epilogue at some point if you keep an eye out on that fan fic (I know you want your** _ **actual**_ **'kiss the girl' moment ;) ).**

 **In the meantime, I will release a final set of drawings for this fan fic and you hopefully know where to find them (on my deviant art account or on tumblr–both under the name tornrose24) in a couple of days, if not within a week.**

 **I don't know how soon it could be until I make any more fics for Moana (besides the other thing I mentioned) and I don't know if I'll ever get to that Tamatoa origin fic since others have already beaten it to me... but until then, safe voyages, stay shiny, and farewell for now.**

 **And all my thanks and love to you who have read and/or reviewed this fan fic. I'm glad you enjoyed it.**


End file.
